Recently, the Brigade was invited to a Washington Post Live event featuring conversations with leading health experts on the issues of health equity, vaccine access, and the disparities that have come into focus since the start of the pandemic. Taking part in the discussion were Atul Gawande, MD, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health, LaQuandra S. Nesbitt, MD, DC Department of Health Director, Cheryl Bettigole, MD, Philadelphia Health Commissioner, and Cameron Webb, MD, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Equity.

Addressing the challenges seen at the local level and in developing nations, those speaking discussed solutions that have helped them increase the rate of vaccinations and improve health outcomes.

It was fascinating to hear about the varying efforts to achieve health equity, which underscored the importance of finding solutions tailored to individual communities' needs. At the Brigade, we’ve focused on bringing health and sustainable development to the most vulnerable in Honduras. Dr. Gawande noted the importance of intentionally building up capacity for lasting effects on public health systems:

Said Dr. Gawande:

…we are now the leading supporter of building oxygen capacity around the world, absolutely critical for a respiratory illness that we have oxygen, and you saw many of the horrifying images from India when you had many places that simply ran out of oxygen. And bringing oxygen capacity and doing it in ways that is building a lasting system and an ecosystem that keeps oxygen flowing and lowers the cost, et cetera, is also then there to help address the biggest killer of children under five, which is childhood pneumonia, able to address adult respiratory illnesses, makes for safer birth and safety surgery. It is a dramatic effect on the system. We have a number of different ways that are like that.

While the pandemic has changed our world significantly, we are inspired by the work that is being done to create a healthier future locally and abroad – and we are proud to be a part of this momentous endeavor.