I am from Delhi, India, and I spent the past 10 years in Manila, Philippines. Both countries were hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Philippines having one of the longest lockdowns, while India suffered a devastatingly huge second wave brought about by the Delta variant. As experts often say, COVID-19 has become a developing-country pandemic. So what could the world do to offer support to these less economically developed countries during this crisis?
The solution for these countries as proposed by international health bodies, experts and other official stakeholders seemed to be the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative. COVAX was founded in April 2020 by multiple health bodies, institutions and nonprofits like the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. The program was supposed to “be a global powerhouse and a multibillion-dollar alliance.” The initiative’s main goal was to provide quick, fair and safe access to COVID-19 vaccines to emerging economies. While COVAX experienced a fair share of success in acquiring and distributing doses, its shortcomings in terms of vaccine storage, obtaining deals with manufacturers and overcoming bureaucratic barriers outweighed the benefits of the program.
The COVAX initiative did have its fair share of successes, and this can be accredited to the fact that the initiative brings together the efforts of multiple stakeholders such as international health bodies, institutions like UNICEF and nonprofits. According to the WHO, the COVAX program was able to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 100 economies, including countries in Africa and Asia, in the first 42 days of the program through acquiring and delivering doses.
However, the COVAX program faced severe shortcomings, which unfortunately outweighed the program’s benefits. I find that most of these challenges revolve around money, vaccine supply and global solidarity. Andrea Taylor, a Duke researcher studying global vaccinations, stated that “Covax is like a group project without a leader.” This quote is quite telling, especially because COVAX is such a large, collaborative initiative among various stakeholders.
COVAX struggled to acquire an adequate supply of vaccine doses that would meet the large demand in low- to middle-income nations. This supply shortage was due to a lack of funding from high-income nations or established partnerships with other vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer. This shortage of funding for COVAX also created difficulties in terms of transportation, the administration of shots and the added hurdle of persuading people to take the vaccine.
It is fair to say COVAX was an effective example of the inner workings of collaborative initiatives during health crises. While identifying the ways in which COVAX would have been better prepared and more successful is challenging, the initiative undoubtedly needed a clearer leadership presence. COVAX needed more individuals with different expertises to fully dedicate themselves to the goals of the initiative, instead of having so many separate organizations and institutions contribute a limited amount.
Given the complexities of the pandemic and the struggle to aid less economically developed nations, students must engage in discussion, take classes or get involved in wider pandemic-relief-related efforts on campus. Campus life has practically returned to normal, but for my friends and family back in the Philippines, a never-ending lockdown remains the reality. In the Philippines, there were stringent rules on wearing masks and face shields at all times. It is entirely different in the United States — ranging from factors like rules around the pandemic, vaccine rates and standard of living. The catastrophically grim conditions in India, especially during the second wave, were extremely distressing for me because I worried about my extended family and friends back home. Reading the news, seeing graphic images on social media and talking to relatives back home always elicits a somber and deeply melancholy feeling. Both the Philippines and India have faced tremendously dark times in the pandemic with effects that will continue to shape and impact lives for years to come.
As we often say in my “Pandemic Responses” seminar, “the pandemic isn’t over for anyone until it is over for everyone.” Sadly, however, it doesn’t fully always seem that way — at least here in the U.S. Therefore, programs such as COVAX, with its well-meaning aims, despite the immense challenge of proper execution, are vital to show solidarity and support and to extend resources to underresourced nations.
Anagha Chakravarti is a first-year student in the School of Foreign Service.
