Politico November 3, 2025
FUTURE THREATS
Inequality isn’t just unfair. It also drives pandemics, according to a new report from the U.N. Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics.
Launched by UNAIDS in 2023, the council describes a vicious cycle: Inequality — within nations and between them — accelerates outbreaks. If an outbreak hits, inequality undermines countries’ responses, making it more likely to evolve into a longer, deadlier pandemic. In turn, pandemics worsen inequality and the cycle continues.
Despite such a grim picture, there’s reason for optimism, council member Matthew Kavanagh, who directs Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, told Erin.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
How could inequality trigger a pandemic?
When outbreaks happen in more...
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