Global Crisis Response: OECD Evaluation Flags Inequities and Lessons from Collective COVID-19 Aid
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
This Strategic Joint Evaluation, conducted under the auspices of the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition and led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), analyzed the collective response of over 60 international development and humanitarian organizations to the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022. The evaluation aimed to understand how global systems reacted to the unprecedented crisis, mitigate the devastating socio-economic fallout, and build lessons for future crises.
The pandemic was found to have severely exacerbated inequalities, pushing 93 million additional people into extreme poverty and reversing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the international community demonstrated unprecedented levels of co-operation, innovation, and resource mobilization, the evaluation highlights where incoherence and missed opportunities limited the overall impact. A key focus of the assessment was support for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination rollouts in developing countries.
The report highlights the importance of:
Flexibility and Timeliness: The ability to react quickly and adapt to shifting priorities was essential for effective response.
Local Leadership: The effectiveness of aid was significantly enhanced when international support was aligned with national priorities and followed national leadership.
Equitable Access: The response was challenged by a lack of progress in ensuring fair and equal access to vaccines, especially for vulnerable populations in low-income countries.
The evaluation highlighted the crucial need for future crisis preparedness and a rapid response system. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) must leverage the strategic investment being made under the Pradhan MantriβAyushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to ensure that capacity is built in a rapid, integrated manner..
What is the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition?β It is a collaborative project established in 2020, comprising the independent or central evaluation units of over 65 organizations, including governments, UN agencies, and multilateral institutions. Led by the OECD, its purpose is to generate credible, system-wide evidence to inform international cooperation, support non-clinical responses, and foster accountability in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Follow the full report here: Strategic Joint Evaluation of the Collective International Development and Humanitarian Assistance Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic