We cannot deny or escape the reality of the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last year and a half. The quality of life, access to life-saving health services, and economic circumstances of people worldwide have been detrimentally impacted.
For instance, 31 million people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2020 compared to 2019, as shared in the 2021 Goalkeepers Report. This is the fifth installation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s flagship report and it features an updated global dataset illustrating the pandemic’s adverse impact on progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Read the full 2021 Goalkeepers Report here.
The report, co-authored by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, the co-chairs of the Gates Foundation, shows that Covid-19 has exacerbated inequality, and marganalised people bear the brunt. While 90% of high-income countries will regain their pre-pandemic per capita income levels by next year, only one-third of low- and middle-income economies are expected to do so.
Impoverished people have been pushed further into the fringes of society because of the increasing rates of unemployment, humanitarian crises, poverty and gender equality are even further exacerbated which has made it more challenging for us to reach the Global Goals.
The numbers speak for themselves—and they paint a grim picture.
But more alarmingly, the pandemic has impacted the lives of women and girls. The 2021 Goalkeepers Report states that although men are 70% more likely to die from Covid-19, women continue to be disproportionately affected by the economic and social impacts, which will further delay the realisation of gender equality. “Women face structural barriers in every corner of the world, leaving them more vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic,” Melinda French Gates explained, “By investing in women now and addressing these inequities, governments can spur a more equitable recovery while strengthening their economies against future crises. It’s not just the right thing to do—but smart policy that will benefit everyone.”
Additionally, women’s employment globally is expected to remain 13 million jobs below the 2019 level—while men’s employment is primarily expected to recover to pre-pandemic rates.
“Data also show that the negative effect on women has been smaller in countries that had gender-intentional policies in place before the pandemic,” the co-authors write.
While the Covid-19 pandemic created new manifestations of inequality, it has also shunned a light on other neglected aspects, such as health inequity. For example, the Goalkeepers Report highlights that more than 80% of all Covid-19 vaccines have only been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Meanwhile, less than 1% of doses have been administered in low-income countries. As a health journalist, I have seen firsthand the direct impacts of the inequalities in the global health system.
The lack of Covid-19 vaccines in Latin America, Asia and Africa resulted in the devastation caused by the Delta variant as their population remains unvaccinated. The Goalkeepers Report found that in addition, Africa—which is home to 17% of the world’s population—has less than 1% of the world’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities.
Despite the systemic lack of access to vaccines to some of the most affected populations, we also witnessed incredible strides. The 2021 Goalkeepers Report shares how even in every crisis, there is a chance to find solutions. South Africa is a great example of this.
South Africa’s scientists have stood up high above the rest. Unfortunately, as 2020 drew to an end, the country experienced a deadly second wave fuelled by the beta variant, which peaked in January 2021. Scientists identified the beta variant as the leading contributor of the rapid rise in infections in the country. As panic set in at the alarming number of deaths and hospitalisations that brought South Africa’s private and public health systems to its knees, these researchers worked tirelessly at genome-sequencing and were able to discover that the beta variant was behind this devastating second wave.
As noted in the Goalkeepers Report, Professor Penny Moore, a researcher at the NICD, was one of the first scientists to discover that the variant identified in South Africa could circumvent the immune system. This information enabled public health officials around the world could plan accordingly.
“South Africa, which has also invested deeply in infrastructure to rapidly and effectively conduct clinical trials, could quickly adjust its vaccine trials. They began working to determine whether Covid-19 vaccines provided sufficient protection against the new variant that would soon spread everywhere,” the co-chairs of the Goalkeepers Report write. “Scientific innovation, even at a record-breaking pace, isn’t enough on its own. The Covid-19 vaccines are an amazing feat of [research and development], but they are most effective when everyone has access to them.”
The stark inequities of the past year did indeed remind us that vaccine inequality still prevails.
But in the midst of my deep scepticism and cynicism, I also found myself excited about the announcement that South Africa will be the site of the first Covid-19 messenger-RNA vaccine technology transfer hub where local manufacturers such as Aspen Pharmacare will be trained in vaccine development. Although this has not created vaccine availability right away, the investment into infrastructure is a step in the right direction. As the Goalkeeper Report highlights, it is insufficient for rich countries to be the only ones with the equipment and resources to sequence viruses.
While it is evident that more work needs to be done, it’s also clear that without the global collaboration, commitment, and investments that we have seen since the onset of the pandemic, the world would not have been able to avert worst-case scenarios. But it is time to get back on track to meet the Global Goals. As famously sung by one of South Africa’s musical legends Letta Mbulu who adopted it from a quote by the Kenyan freedom fighter, Oginga Odinga: It is not yet Uhuru.
In the word of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates in the 2021 Goalkeepers Report, “progress is possible, but not inevitable.” But for this to happen, the power of community must be acknowledged and invested in.
Read the full 2021 Goalkeepers Report here.
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In collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates’ Foundation’s 2021 Goalkeepers Report, BellaNaija is taking you on a journey to see how Africans are, with resilience and determination, solving the social, financial, and health problems of the continent. Introducing you to them is just the beginning. We will continue looking to tell the stories of the many more who are blazing trails for a better continent.
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About the Author
Pontsho Pilane is a South African journalist, editor, media lecturer and trainer with a focus in health, race and gender and how they intersect.