The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting societies and economies in unprecedented ways. It is a massive global challenge, claiming tens of millions of lives and overrunning healthcare systems. Despite many scientific developments and policies, the response to the pandemic has been largely uneven. And it has exacerbated preexisting inequalities, including those that are related to race and income.
The pandemic has disrupted education systems and put millions of children at risk of adolescent pregnancy and child marriage. Millions of people have lost their livelihoods, including in some of the world’s poorest countries where border closures and trade restrictions have prevented farmers from harvesting crops. The disruption has also sparked anxiety about the future of work and food systems, particularly among women, low-income people, minorities and young people.
The pandemic has also highlighted and exacerbated long-standing digital divides. For example, while virtually all Americans say that the pandemic changed how they use technology, those in lower-income households are more likely to report tech-related challenges with their schoolwork than those in higher-income groups. Those divides have only been further highlighted by the lack of reliable data on how the pandemic has played out around the globe, which has prevented governments and donors from targeting their resources where they are needed most. Bringing lifesaving tests, treatments and vaccines to all communities will be key to making sure this devastating disease doesn’t recur and undermine progress on global poverty, clean energy and more. This will require collaboration between the private sector, governments, scientists, civil society and philanthropies to get these lifesaving tools from the laboratory to the front line as quickly as possible.