The global call to develop, manufacture, and deliver COVID-19 vaccines is unmatched in history—and unique in how it has illustrated, in stark terms, what equity means for public health. COVID-19 cases are plummeting in some (mostly high-income) countries, where economies are reopening and life is beginning to look more “normal.” Meanwhile, some countries are experiencing devastating surges that are overwhelming health systems and taking lives at unacceptable rates. 

These divisions are deep. And they remind me why I wake up every morning and continue to advocate for health equity. From my desk in Kampala, we’re celebrating small wins—we’ve received more than 800,000 vaccine doses via COVAX—yet still fighting bigger battles, as less than 1 percent of our population has been vaccinated. 

This is why PATH joined advocates around the world to call for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines during this year’s World Immunization Week. I was thrilled to help launch the Immunization Agenda 2030—an ambitious global immunization strategy that aims to halve the number of children receiving zero vaccine doses and reach 90 percent coverage for key vaccines over the next decade.

It’s encouraging to see momentum building around a movement for vaccine equity. This month’s PATH Insights is examining the issue from all angles—from clinical trials and risk assessments to systems infrastructure and safe immunization supplies—exploring what it takes to equitably vaccinate the world.

Thank you for reading.

Esther Nasikye
Advocacy and Policy Manager, Uganda

At a clinic in Brazil, a shipment of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. Photo: Agência Brasília/Joel Rodrigues.