The Rich, the Poor, and the Forgotten: The COVID-19 Pandemic Shines a Light on Global Health Disparities

The focus of most Americans has been on the COVID pandemic impact in the United States and our path to recovery. Rolling out vaccines, debating COVID relief packages, addressing health disparities, opening schools and restaurants– the agenda is broad and all-consuming. No wonder, then, that until recently there has been much less coverage – and discussion – related to the pandemic in low-income countries. What we do hear is worrisome. News of COVAX and vaccine deliveries to the world’s poorest nations are drown out by predictions of health system collapse in Brazil, variant strains in South Africa and resurgence of diseases such as malaria and measles. It is difficult to gauge what is happening, how the global community should respond and how struggling health and social systems might recover from COVID-19.

This webinar will focus on how the Global South, particularly African countries, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts being made locally and globally to help them recover. It will address three key issues related to COVID impact and recovery in the Global South:

• Covid-19 Vaccines and Vaccinations: Decisions on what, who, when and how.
  Speaker: Krishna Udaykumar, Associate Professor of Global Health and Medicine and Director, Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke University

• Disaster vs Opportunity: The impact of COVID on health programs and systems in low-income countries.
  Speaker: Wafaa El Sadr, University Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and Director of ICAP, and Director of the Global Health Initiative at Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

• COVID Diplomacy and the Biden Administration: The costs and benefits of global solidarity.
  Speaker: Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice-President and Director of the Global Health Policy Center, Center for International and Strategic Studies

The webinar will be hosted by Ayman El-Mohandes, Dean, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Public Policy (SPH). It will be moderated by Dr. Michael Merson, Senior Scholar at CUNY SPH.