Ashoka
Lessons From The Frontlines: Preparing A Global Vaccine Workforce
Dr. Sanjeev Arora had been using Zoom for years, long before Covid-19 put it on the desktop of every manager, consultant, and third-grade teacher from Columbus to Capetown. He founded Project ECHO — Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes — to encourage a two-way flow of expertise by connecting medical specialists with health practitioners via structured “all learn, all teach” video conversations. Sanjeev argues that inequality in health care comes largely from unequal access to knowledge and information, and that the gap can be bridged with mass outreach to medical professionals wherever and whenever they need it. Ashoka spoke with him about his work and the challenge ahead: readying a multi-million-person vaccine workforce in as little as seven months.
Ashoka insight
Our long-term goal is to democratize knowledge. There is too much inequity in the world. Healthcare is one area where the gaps can be addressed very effectively with knowledge and information. And I see that the role of every expert in the world should be to create other experts — we should all spend at least 10% of our time sharing our expertise and knowledge, gaining new knowledge through exchange, and making the world more equitable.