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Current account deficit poses a serious threat for a country's macroeconomic stability despite the fast economic growth. The primary objective of this paper is to explain and critically examine the determinants of current account deficit across seven South Asian countries using yearly data for 1980–2016 period. This paper employed several econometric techniques such as cross‐sectional dependence to see if shocks that occur in one country affect another, panel unit root test to check the stationary of the data and Panel cointegration test to check long‐run relationship among the variables. This study also implemented Continuously Updated estimation procedure given to estimate long‐run coefficients. The findings suggest that an appreciation of real effective exchange rate leads to a reduction in current account deficit, contrary to popular belief. The analysis also reveals that financial development, trade openness, fiscal balance and population growth have positive and significant relationship with current account deficit in South Asia but net foreign asset negatively affects current account deficit. This study, therefore, has several policy implications for South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid‐19 epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern. It poses a massive risk for the human race across the planet, calling for the need to take measures at the local, regional, national, and global levels. South Asian countries stand more vulnerable to the pandemic due to their dense population, poor infrastructure, and low surveillance system. This paper aims to understand the challenges from the Covid‐19 pandemic for South Asia; and investigates the strategic and operational responses to this pandemic by policymakers and healthcare professionals, respectively, in South Asia. The study uses interviews and opinions of policymakers and doctors, from the South Asian region, involved in tackling the Covid‐19 crisis. The qualitative analysis is performed on these interviews and opinions by using NVivo 12 software. The findings indicate that policymakers and healthcare providers across South Asia have been showing efficient teamwork while dealing with this pandemic. The healthcare administrators being at the operational level, convey the challenges they face to the policymakers who then respond to them at a strategic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]