In July, following the selection committee meeting, Dr. Hani Kim, Executive Director of the RIGHT Foundation, met with Dr. Shabir A. Madhi at the foundation’s headquarters. Their discussion centered on how vaccine research and development can drive better health outcomes worldwide.
Dr. Madhi—who serves on the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and helped lead COVID-19 vaccine efforts in Africa— spoke about the persistent gap between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). He noted the irony that, even when vaccines are manufactured in LMICs, local populations often lack timely and equitable access.
Dr. Kim agreed, emphasizing that vaccines should be treated as a global public good. Both underscored that partnerships in vaccine R&D should prioritize co-creation, ensuring that benefits are shared more fairly across countries.
They also stressed that, to set partnerships on the right course, R&D should be assessed with a long-term lens—anticipating outcomes—and oriented toward developing the products and technologies needed by end-users in LMICs, while reducing the gaps and mismatches that can arise across development and supply, from clinical trials to distribution.