Ensuring equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine

In her address, Dr Soumya Swaminathan discusses, from a policy perspective, how the unprecedented nature and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic places considerable emphasis on the need for equitable access to safe and effective vaccination. Within this context, Dr Swaminathan outlines the efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to collaborate with governments and manufacturers through COVAX to facilitate equitable access to vaccines globally.

About the Speaker:

Dr Soumya Swaminathan was appointed as the Chief Scientist of the newly created public health division in the WHO in 2019. Prior to this position, Dr Swaminathan was the WHO’s Deputy Director-General for Programmes. Previously, Dr Swaminathan was Secretary to the Government of India for Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research from 2015 to 2017. She received her academic training in India, the UK and US and is an elected Foreign Fellow of the US National Academy of Medicine.