Recognising that “no one is safe until everyone is safe”, the G7 recently announced additional steps to facilitate globally more “affordable and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics” to combat Covid-19. But translating stated intent into effective action will require both bold political leadership at home and support for developing countries that goes well beyond financial aid. Getting it right won’t be easy, but the effort is essential if rich countries wish to avoid living in a fortress with the mentality to match.

The current inequality in vaccine availability and deployment is stark. According to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, just 10 countries account for 75% of all Covid-19 vaccination so far. More than 130 countries have not administered a single dose.