ODID Head among signatories calling for equitable distribution of COVID vaccine
ODID Head of Department Diego Sánchez-Ancochea and Professor Emeritus Frances Stewart are among leading UK academics in development studies who have signed a letter calling on the government to ensure an equitable global distribution of COVID vaccines.
The letter, published in the Guardian, notes that while UK science has made an impressive contribution to tackling the pandemic, "we have joined other wealthy countries in hoarding large amounts of vaccines. This limits the supply to more vulnerable people in low-income countries and is morally wrong and strategically shortsighted."
The letter calls on the government to take three steps: "first, to generously finance vaccine distribution in low-income countries and support distribution in ways that strengthen health systems for the long term; second, to promote the expansion of production capabilities in the global south, so that more firms can produce vaccines; and third, to distribute a significant proportion of our supply to low-income countries.