Innovation for Change – East Asia is developing a research framework on the transparency and accountability of COVID-19 vaccine procurement with particular focus on Chinese-made vaccines, which were initially the most widely available vaccines in several countries in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. We will host two learning spaces in July and a three-day co-creation workshop in August to develop the research framework with the intention of triggering broader discussions on how vaccines became a tool for diplomacy and foreign policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and contribute to the importance of having vaccine equity.
The global and country-level picture of how governments and corporations handled the COVID-19 pandemic response exposed how emergency processes and systems leaned towards reinforcing inequalities and status quos from the pre-pandemic world. In fact, the production, procurement, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines can serve as a good representation of how governments in high income countries and transnational pharmaceutical corporations disregard transparency, equity, solidarity, and accountability amid the still-ongoing public health crisis.
With this, I4C-East Asia invites you to two online learning spaces on the topics of (1) vaccine equity, (2) vaccine diplomacy, and (3) vaccine transparency and accountability on 19 and 20 July 2022. These sessions will be hosted with resource persons who have worked on national, regional, and global campaigns on vaccine equity, including the push for the waiver on intellectual property rights. Join us in these learning spaces and contribute to the discussions and development of the research framework design.
All our online sessions will require pre-event registration from interested participants. Please express your interest to join and contribute to the learning spaces by filling out this JotForm by Wednesday, 13 July 2022: https://bit.ly/TVELearningSpaces
Only selected participants will be contacted with detailed guidelines for joining the sessions.
Learning Space 1
Inoculated Inequalities: COVID-19 Vaccines and the Global North-South Equity Narrative
What does vaccine in/equity look like? How can civil society participate in addressing inequity around COVID-19 vaccines?
Join us on 19 July 2022, 3.30-6.30PM GMT+8.
Limited slots available. Express your interest to contribute to the discussion by Wednesday, 13 July 2022: https://bit.ly/TVELearningSpaces
Learning Space 2
Dole-outs as Diplomacy: COVID-19 Vaccine Global Distribution and Accountability Measures
How do intellectual property rights play out in COVID-19 vaccine equity and diplomacy? How can civil society exact transparency and accountability from governments and corporations about COVID-19 vaccines?
Join us on 20 July 2022, 3.30-6.30PM GMT+8.
Express your interest to participate by Wednesday, 13 July 2022: https://bit.ly/TVELearningSpaces
