Vaccine Inequity

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A radical plan could solve a historic global health inequity. Countries in the global south who waited for more than a year for ample supplies of Covid vaccines have banded together to make mRNA vaccines locally. If successful, they could end a dangerous dependency on wealthy nations and help stop pandemics before they start. In a special episode, supported by the Pulitzer Center, journalist Amy Maxmen shares her reporting from southern Africa about the inspiring project led by the WHO that’s made fast progress. But it could fail, and a global imbalance will remain, if Big Pharma has its way. Find out what’s at stake. Guests: Amy Maxmen - Award-winning science journalist, Edward R. Murrow press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the Nature article, "The Radical Plan for Vaccine Equity" Petro Terblanche - Managing Director, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines in Cape Town, South Africa Kondwani Charles Jambo - Senior Lecturer and immunologist at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Clinical Research Programme in Blantyre, Malawi Barney Graham - Former deputy director at the Vaccine Research Center at NIH and professor of medicine and microbiology immunology biochemistry at Morehouse School of Medicine Emile Hendricks - Research technologist at Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines in Cape Town, South Africa Achal Prabhala - Fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation, Coordinator at AccessIBSA, a medicines-access initiative in Bengaluru, India Patrick Tippoo - Head of Science and Innovation at Biovac in Cape Town, South Africa, founding member of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI) Harrison Chauluka - chief of the Mkunda village in Malawi Agnes Joni - farmer in Chiradzulu, Malawi Prophet Dauda - translator and writer in Blantyre, Malawi Originally aired November 21, 2022 Thanks to the Pulitzer Center for help supporting this episode of Big Picture Science Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact sales@advertisecast.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:04.7	Here at Betway, we've teamed up with the legendary Thierry-on-Ree.
0:09.7	Step into a world of top-class action, rewards and exclusive offers.
0:15.0	18-plus decencies apply.
0:16.9	Bet the Responsible Way, gamblerware.org.
0:19.8	I'm Matt Kaplan, the host of Safeguarding Sound Science, Evolution Edition.
0:24.7	Evolution is the unifying principle of biology, yet it still breeds controversy a century
0:30.4	and a half after Charles Darwin.
0:32.8	Join us as we meet the passionate researchers and communicators who are expanding our knowledge
0:38.1	and fighting to keep good science
0:40.1	in our schools and politics.
0:42.8	Subscribe to Safeguarding Sound Science
0:44.8	on Apple, Spotify, Amazon,
0:47.4	or wherever you like to listen.
0:49.3	Music If there was any doubt that human health is connected to everyone on the planet, the coronavirus pandemic put it to rest. But while some nations got access to life-saving vaccines relatively quickly, other countries had none.
1:12.6	The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that relying on a few companies to supply global public goods is limiting and dangerous.
1:21.6	A bright demarcation appeared between the Global North, where the MRNA vaccines are made, and the developing world,
1:28.9	or the global south, which was last in line to receive them. Some are still largely without.
1:35.4	But now, an innovative international collaboration, some even call it subversive, hopes to correct
1:41.3	a longstanding inequity in vaccine access by helping countries to make their own.
1:46.4	It is a challenging project. There's no question about it. But it is also one of the most inspiring and most motivating.
1:54.3	The question is, will Big Pharma stand in the way? I'm Seth Shostak, and this is Big Picture Science produced at the SETI Institute.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Big Picture Science, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Big Picture Science and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.