Despite global efforts to ensure all countries have access to COVID vaccines, a large proportion of available vaccines have already been purchased by high-income countries. What can be done to ensure that low- and middle-income countries receive equitable access? Are countries prepared to distribute and administer vaccines? Join experts from DGHI and around the world as they explore the current state of vaccine access and equity.

About the panelists

Dr Ahmed Ogwell currently serves as the Deputy Director at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) – a specialised agency of the African Union (AU). In this capacity, he works with AU Member States and other partners, leading a team of experts in securing Africa’s health through effective preparedness, early detection and rapid response to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies on the continent of Africa. He has over 25 years of experience in public health as a social and developmental agenda at national, regional, and global levels. He has ably held senior positions in national government, the United Nations (UN) system, non-governmental organisations, and the AU. He previously worked as an advisor to the World Health Organization Director General and worked at the World Health Organisation Regional office for Africa.

Dr. Krishna Udayakumar is the founding Director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, focused on generating deeper evidence and support for the study, scaling, and adaptation of health innovations and policy reforms globally.  He is also Executive Director of Innovations in Healthcare, a non-profit co-founded by Duke, McKinsey & Company, and the World Economic Forum, leading the organization’s work to curate and scale the impact of transformative health solutions globally. At Duke University, Dr. Udayakumar holds the rank of Associate Professor of Global Health and Medicine, and is a core faculty member of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. He also serves as Associate Director for Innovation of the Duke Global health Institute.

Rajeev Sadanandan is the CEO of Health System Transformation Platform, New Delhi, India. He has worked as health secretary of Kerala state, the CEO of India’s former National Health Insurance Programme, RSBY, and Programme Officer at UNAIDS. He is one of the Commissioners on the Lancet Global Health Commission on Financing Primary Health Care and is an Advisor to the Chief Minister of Kerala on management of COVID - 19.

Dr. Patty J. García, is a Professor at the School of Public Health at Cayetano Heredia University (UPCH) in Lima-Peru. She is the former Minister of Health of Peru, Dean of the School of Public Health at UPCH, and former Chief of the Peruvian National Institute of Health (INS). She is recognized as a leader in Global Health. Has been member of the PAHO Foundation Technical Advisory Group (FTAG), board member of the Consortium of Universities in Global Health and President of the Latin American Association Against STDs (ALACITS). She is affiliate Professor of the Department of Global Health, at University of Washington and of the School of Public Health at Tulane University. She is actively involved in research and training in Global health, Reproductive health, STI/HIV, HPV and medical informatics. She has been recently appointed member of the United States National Academy of Medicine, becoming the first Peruvian professional with such a distinction.

About the "Global Challenges and the COVID Vaccine" Series

The development of safe and effective vaccines to protect against COVID-19 offers the brightest hope of ending a pandemic that has dramatically impacted the world. But many questions remain about how vaccines will be allocated, distributed, administered and accepted in countries of all income levels. This monthly webinar series will share global perspectives on these challenges and offer timely assessment of progress in the campaign to vaccinate people around the world.

View events in this series:

• January 19, 2021 - The Race for Vaccine Equity
• February 23, 2021 - Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy
• March 16, 2021 - What’s the price tag and who will pay?
• April 20, 2021 - Manufacturing and Supply
• May 18, 2021 - The View from Africa