Cost and affordability of a healthy diet for urban populations in Thailand and the Philippines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic severely affected global food security, but analyses of its impact on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet are limited. This study examines the immediate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cost and affordability of a healthy diet among urban households in Bangkok, Thailand and Manila, the Philippines.

Methods: We used official food price and household income and food expenditure data from the national statistics offices.