On 2 September, 2021, Lebanon Support hosted a webinar titled “Decolonising Access to Health, Addressing Vaccine Inequity in MENA”, part of a series of webinars the research center is organising on social justice in the MENA region. 

The discussion was moderated by Ms. Heba Wanis (Researcher in Public Health and Consultant for Third World Network), with speakers: Dr. Steven L.B. Jensen (Senior Researcher at The Danish Institute for Human Rights), Dr. Ayat Nashwan (Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan), Dr. Belgasem Sabri (Head of the Tunisian Association for Defending the Right to Health and Founding member of the Tunisian Palestinian Medical Association), and Dr. Rouham Yamout (Researcher at the American University of Beirut).

The discussion revolved around the general global context of unequal access to vaccines, where there is inequity on both distribution and purchase levels. The speakers discussed vaccination campaigns in Tunisia, Jordan, and Lebanon, mentioning how vulnerable populations, including refugees, were particularly affected by the pandemic. They also highlighted the link between socio-economic and political crises and the health sector, noting that social Justice is first and foremost a political decision.

For more on the discussion, read this article by Heba Wanis covering the challenges faced by health systems in the region during the pandemic and vaccine inequity between North and South: https://civilsociety-centre.org/paper/covid-19-vaccines-equity-between-north-and-south-still-possible 

The webinar is also available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld8-_zqVCuo