Ongoing global Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutic inequities threaten to prolong and exacerbate the pandemic for all countries. As advocates, academics, and policymakers alike call for the U.S. and other wealthy nations to share these lifesaving resources with the world, it is prudent to consider the lessons learned from the HIV pandemic that can be translated into this current moment. PEPFAR and the experiences of HIV health workers offer a roadmap and over 20 years of learnings for implementing vaccine and therapeutic scale-up and delivery efforts in low resource settings.
On January 20th, 2022, the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research grand rounds event brought together members of the HIV research and advocacy communities to critically reflect upon applicable lessons for approaching Covid-19 healthcare delivery and identify necessary steps for a paradigm shift in how the world responds to global health crises. The grand rounds included a 1-hour panel discussion between Dr. Ruth Okediji, Dr. Paul Farmer, and James Krellenstein, and a 30-minute fireside conversation between Dr. Tony Fauci and Dr. John Nkengasong. These conversations were oriented towards practical, timely steps that advocates, academics, and policymakers can take to advance equity in this and future global health crisis.
Watch the full recording of the event below:
Below, Yonatan Grad, physician-scientist and infectious disease epidemiologist and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, discusses how drug-resistant gonorrhea reflects broader challenges in antimicrobial resistance.
In this talk, Professor Yonatan Grad presents recent advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gonorrhea, and discusses emerging frameworks for optimizing implementation and rollout strategies in diverse healthcare settings.
A new letter published in The Lancet, “Global donor funding for COVID-19 was largely disbursed as loans: it’s time to adjust,” co-authored by Jehane Sedky, Abbey Gardner, and Louise Ivers, examines how global COVID-19 aid was delivered—and what the data reveal about the state of international solidarity.
