Innovations in infectious disease prevention and control can exacerbate, rather than reduce, health inequities. More advantaged populations and higher-income countries are often better positioned to benefit from new technologies, while infectious disease risk and limited access to health services remain concentrated among disadvantaged groups.
These patterns, often described as “inverse laws”, are not inevitable. Evidence from multiple settings demonstrates that their underlying determinants are modifiable.
This symposium marks the launch of the Infectious Disease Equity (InDiE) Consortium, a collaborative initiative involving researchers from Zimbabwe, Zambia, The Gambia, South Africa and Kenya. The consortium aims to develop an equity-focused framework to support the implementation of new technologies without widening existing disparities in health access.
Speakers
- Professor Richard Cookson, University of York, UK – The Inverse Care Law and Equity Tradeoffs
- Ms Grace Kumwenda, AVAC (Africa Region) – Ending inequitable access to prevention and treatment interventions: A community perspective
- Professor Cesar Victora, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil – The Inverse Equity Hypothesis: Lessons from the Field
- Dr Primrose Matambanadzo, CeSHHAR, Zimbabwe – The Infectious Disease Equity Consortium
Chairs
Professor Clare Bambra and Dr Ngozi Erondu, Co-chairs of the InDiE Consortium International Advisory Group
