1. The largest funding for the development of a vaccine for COVID-19 has come from the private sector. What does it tell? Is the private sector filling in the gaps created by the inherent inefficiencies of public institutions? Critically comment.
COVID-19 के वैक्सीन के विकास के लिए सबसे बड़ा निधिकरण निजी क्षेत्र से आया है। यह क्या बताता है? क्या निजी क्षेत्र सार्वजनिक संस्थानों की अंतर्निहित अक्षमताओं द्वारा निर्मित अंतराल को पाट रहा है? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to express their views over the roles played by private as well as public health institutions while funding for the development of COVID-19 vaccine. It also expects students to analyse both aspects of whether private sector is filling the gaps created by the inherent inefficiencies of public institutions or not.
Introduction:
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc, researchers worldwide are working around the clock to find a vaccine against genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. With respect to funding for the development of vaccine it seems that private institutions have got the front row but it doesn’t mean that public institutions are lagging in it.
Body:
Just as automakers famously shifted to make tanks and planes during World War II, today’s global giants Moderna, Altimmune, BioNTech & Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, etc. are investing tremendous amount of money in the research for vaccine development of COVID-19.
COVID-19 pandemic has exposed lacunas in the public health institutions across the world:
It diminishes preparedness and effective management for new and emerging threats such as pandemic like Covid-19.Here, Private Health Institutions comes in to picture in terms of investment, quality of service, delivering benfits etc.
It doesn’t mean that Private institutions’ don’t have any lacunas:
So, it can be seen that though public health institutions lack in some aspects, private institutions have their own lacunas too.
Vaccine development is a lengthy process which often takes years, with many challenges. 78 of the confirmed active vaccine candidates, 56 (72%) are being developed by private/industry developers, with the remaining 22 (28%) of projects being led by public institutions.
Hence a collaborative approach should be adopted to tackle this crisis.
There are various examples of the public institutions which are also working at a war time speed to tackle this crisis:
Conclusion:
As vaccine for the novel corona virus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021,and no sign of medicine to cure is in sight; Instead of looking for the gaps filled by one sector of other we need to adopt a collaborative approach where both sectors will work together, in turn it help human kind to survive on this planet.
