Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout: Challenges and Insights from Informal Settlements

The Covid-19 pandemic’s health impacts on low-income urban communities have not been insignificant, but the results of state responses and shutdowns implemented without adequate consideration of poverty consequences have been very serious. In this context, vaccination is one way – among many and varied actions needed – in which people can reduce risk of further exclusion. This article summarises early findings from a study focusing on the experiences of communities in informal settlements in four major cities in the global South – Harare, Kampala, Lilongwe, and Mumbai – which was conducted in partnership with national affiliates of Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI). By providing a snapshot of how global vaccine inequalities play out at the local level, we aim to contribute to understanding the challenges faced by low-income residents in informal settlements in accessing Covid-19 vaccines and their perceptions of those challenges, and to generate insights about good practices to help ensure more equitable vaccine distribution.