Who Gets Hit the Hardest?

Pathogen evolution and disease emergence don’t happen in a vacuum—they thrive in conditions of inequality. Marginalized populations, from low-income workers to those living in overcrowded urban slums, are disproportionately exposed to infectious diseases. Lack of healthcare access, vaccine inequities, and climate-driven displacement further exacerbate their vulnerability.

Yet, the consequences of global health disparities don’t stop at national borders. As we saw during COVID-19, failing to invest in global health allows diseases to evolve and spread, ultimately threatening everyone. Policies like cutting foreign aid, withdrawing from the WHO, and fueling anti-vaccine sentiment don’t just harm vulnerable populations—they make the world more susceptible to the next pandemic.

Global health security is collective security. Instead of defunding global health initiatives, we must strengthen international cooperation, support disease surveillance, and push back against misinformation. The cost of inaction is too high.

Read more to explore how inequality fuels disease emergence—and what we can do to stop it.