In my lifetime I‘ve had the privilege and honor to meet American presidents and leaders from all over the world, but Archbishop Desmond Tutu commanded more authority than any person I have ever known. His was borne not of faith, nor of religious hierarchy or the status of the positions he held; it emerged from who he was. He was fierce, and never hesitated to call out injustice, whether to comrade or foe. He was fair – always willing and...
ONE has been pressing world leaders to commit to a global plan to end this pandemic for 18 months. And, today it‘s finally happening! On Wednesday September 22 at the UN General Assembly, world leaders, the private sector, and organizations like ONE will gather for a Global COVID-19 Summit to commit to a plan to vaccinate the world. We‘re 18 months into this pandemic, and we have seen remarkable acts of heroism, compassion, and scientific innovation. But we‘ve also seen...
As an organisation created to tackle extreme poverty and preventable disease, the past year has been a stark reminder to everyone at ONE just how important this mission is. All around the world, we have seen how a single virus has brought chaos and fear — threatening people‘s lives and livelihoods and wreaking havoc on whole economies. As is so often the case, the poorest and most vulnerable have borne the brunt of this crisis; for them, an end to...
The global response to COVID-19 is not working. So far this year, despite the development and roll out of effective vaccines, more than twice the number of people have died from COVID-19 than in all 2020. More than 8,000 people died each day in the past week. A new target to vaccinate 70% of the population in all country income categories by September 2022 could provide the impetus needed to bring the pandemic under control. But as ONE‘s latest analysis...
Nearly a year and a half into the crisis, COVID-19 has taken as many as 12.7 million lives and cost the world economy trillions of dollars. It is threatening to push 115 million more people into extreme poverty, with women and girls fairing the worst. In Africa, the aftershocks of the pandemic are particularly profound. Throughout West Africa, the price of staples is up 40% over a five-year average. At one point, Nigeria was spending 99% of its revenues on...
We need a global roadmap to vaccinate the world — and we need it now. The scenes emerging from India are a harrowing reminder that unequal distribution of vaccines puts everyone at risk. More contagious forms of the virus are already evolving, increasing the risk of a new mutation that resists current vaccines. Global access to vaccines is the fastest way to end the pandemic, but if rich countries monopolise supply and only vaccinate themselves, twice as many people could...
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, people have adapted to a new normal and changes to everyday life. To help you navigate this new normal, we have put together a list of resources — from ways to support your community to online classes and museums — that can help any activist looking for ways to get involved, even from their homes. Good news updates The last year has seen a lot of uncertainty, with frightening and heartbreaking moments and news. But reminders...
Read more recent COVID-19 vaccine content with our Vaccine Access Test and our new series Pandemica. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unfortunate reminder that diseases don’t respect borders. The virus has swept the globe, infecting nearly 140 million people worldwide, and drastically impacting lives and livelihoods, with disproportionate impacts on people living in poverty and women and girls. In late 2020, the race to secure global vaccine access began, with hopes of finally ending the pandemic for everyone, everywhere. At ONE,...
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the creation of safe and effective vaccines to fight the virus within a year of the first reported cases is a huge scientific achievement. It has shifted the conversation from “if” there will be an end to the pandemic to “when.” Even with vaccines being rolled out, we know that we won’t beat this disease fully until we beat it everywhere, so we need to ensure vaccines and medicines reach people at risk wherever they...
This year Italy is at the head of the Group of 20 (G20), a crucial role in the global economic landscape. The presidency is a very important responsibility. It is even more so during a pandemic, in which new COVID-19 variants continue to develop, access to vaccines is not yet guaranteed to all, and poverty is growing exponentially after 20 years of progress in its eradication. All these factors make the adoption of comprehensive and inclusive economic measures even...