Inequality-Pandemic Link Warned: Wealth Gap Threatens Global Health
A new report highlights the dangerous link between economic inequality and pandemics. It warns that high levels of inequality make the world more vulnerable to health crises, creating a vicious cycle that threatens everyone's well-being.
The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly illustrated this issue. While it pushed 165 million people into poverty, the world's wealthiest saw their fortunes grow by more than a quarter. Mónica Geingos, a leading expert, argues that inequality is a political choice that endangers everyone's health.
Experts urge global leaders to strengthen pandemic preparedness by investing in social protection systems and tackling global inequality. This includes ensuring all countries have the budgetary capacity to invest in health security. Joseph Stiglitz will present a separate report on global inequality and poverty to G20 leaders at their summit in Johannesburg in late November. The Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics report calls on developed nations to play a significant role in this by investing in social protection systems and tackling global inequality, particularly through debt restructuring.
The report underscores that this cycle of inequality and pandemics has been observed during global health crises like COVID-19, AIDS, Ebola, and others. The failure to address systemic inequalities since COVID-19 has left the world vulnerable to the next pandemic. Breaking this cycle requires immediate action and commitment from global leaders to ensure equitable access to treatments and health technologies, and to invest in health security for all.
