WINDHOEK – Former First Lady of Namibia and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) advocate Monica Geingos applauded Brazil’s leadership on being central in making sure that tackling inequality has been taken up by the G20.

This was stated in a press release issued by the UNAIDS press centre on Friday, highlighting new commitments made by the G20 leaders to tackle AIDS and other pandemics through addressing the inequalities driving them, both globally and nationally.

Geingos welcomed the new commitments as a potential breakthrough against AIDS and other pandemics.

She served alongside Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and world-leading epidemiologist Michael Marmot as co-chairs of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics established by UNAIDS, held in Brazil as part of the council’s engagement of the G20, on Tuesday.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK and USA, and two regional bodies, the African Union and European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries initially prioritised health in their budgets. However, as funding decreased post-pandemic, it threatens future preparedness and compromises the resilience of health systems,” stated Geingos.

She added that as the council delves into the mess that is unequal access to essential medicines, it must be highlighted that without a global commitment to equitable distribution, these life-saving tools will remain out of reach for many, perpetuating cycles of inequality.

-Nampa