Research

Failing to tackle inequality puts countries in pandemic danger, Council research shows

Matthew M. Kavanagh, Ph.D., Joseph E. Stiglitz, Ph.D., Monica Geingos, L.L.B., Winnie Byanyima, M.Sc., and Michael G. Marmot Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC; School of Health, Georgetown University, Washington, DC; Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University, New York; One Economy Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Geneva; Institute of Health Equity, University College London, London

Analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine – co-authored by experts including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, leading epidemiologist Professor Sir Michael Marmot, and Chairperson of the One Economy Foundation and former First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos – finds economic inequality, not conventional preparedness, has been the clearest predictor of how countries fared against pandemics, upending traditional assumptions about what actions governments need to take for health security. The new research from the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics finds that while technical capacity remains necessary, it is not sufficient. To respond to and prepare for pandemics effectively, governments need to include efforts to address inequality.

Learn More

Long-Acting HIV Medicines and the Pandemic Inequality Cycle — Rethinking Access

Winnie Byanyima, Linda-Gail Bekker and Matthew Kavanagh Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (W.B.); Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town (L.-G.B.); the Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, Georgetown University (M.M.K.)

The world may look back on 2024 as a pivotal time in the fight against AIDS — the start of a revolution in the global biomedical response to HIV using long-acting antiretroviral medicines. These new drugs are the closest thing to a vaccine that the world has today, and they could support long and healthy lives for people living with HIV. Whether for adolescent girls in Nairobi or men who have sex with men in Manila, for people who inject drugs in Kiev or sex workers in São Paulo, for the millions of migrants on the move worldwide or people facing precarious employment or housing, the option of receiving HIV treatment or preventive interventions just a few times a year could be game changing.

Learn More

Income inequality and pandemics: insights from HIV/AIDS and COVID-19

E.J. Ataguba Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Canada Research Chair in Health Economics, University of Manitoba, Canada

Pandemics constitute a significant public health problem, posing threats to the health and wellbeing of substantial population segments across countries.

Learn More

Intersectional forces of rising urban inequality and the global AIDS pandemic: A retrospective analysis

Ingrid T Katz, MD, MHS Harvard Global Health Institute

This analysis determines how the intersection of increased urban growth and poverty have impacted HIV incidence and prevalence, given the need to address a growing HIV inequality globally.

Learn More