🎧 Why We're Not Done With COVID Yet

We’re handing out 21 million shots a day across the world, and yet, 35.6% of the world’s population – 2.9 billion people – still haven’t received a single shot.

Still!

85% of people in low-income countries still haven’t received a single shot.

The international organization that was supposed to shepherd this whole endeavor to vaccinate the world, COVAX, has, however you squeeze it, failed.

However you slice it: this will affect you. It's so important you understand this breakdown, for yourself, your loved ones, your business, the economy, and more.

But also: What the hell does it mean for the future of COVID? Or malaria? For climate? For tackling other hard, complex problems?

I wanted to understand what the technical issues have been, but also as always, to understand why we do what we do when it’s so morally corrupt, when it costs so many lives, and even when all of the evidence tells us that it will come back to bite us.

My guest in Episode #134 is Gayle Smith, who, until recently, served as the Coordinator for Global COVID Response and Health Security at the Department of State and has recently returned to her role as the President and CEO of the ONE Campaign.

Prior to the ONE Campaign, Smith was the Administrator of USAID, where she led a staff of more than 10,000 people working to end extreme poverty, foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, and promote resilient, democratic societies all over the world. 

Smith has also served as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council, where she helped lead the U.S. and global response to the Ebola crisis in 2014 and 2015, and as Special Assistant to President Clinton and Senior Director for African affairs at the National Security Council.

If anyone can help me understand where the US, in particular, has fallen short of helping to vaccinate the world and get us out of this thing, it’s Gayle. This is a must listen.

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Important, Not Important Book Club:

• Find 100+ guest book recommendations at https://bookshop.org/shop/importantnotimportant

Links:

• Follow Gayle on Twitter
• ONE Campaign
• What is PEPFAR?
• Why COVAX Was Doomed to Fall Short - Washington Post

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Thanks for listening, and thanks for giving a shit.

-- Quinn