The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a “glaring inequity” of access to vaccines and treatments, which must be bridged before another such outbreak hits the world, said Ayoade Alakija, a global leader in the field of pandemic preparedness and response, co-chair of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, and a World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Envoy. She urged the G-20 to help develop a “new global playbook” that will facilitate regional self-sufficiency as well as equitable allocation and access.
Dr. Alakija participated in the recently concluded G-20 Health Ministers’ meeting at Gandhinagar and spoke to The Hindu in the capital about the lessons learnt from COVID and the preparations needed for a future pandemic.
