In December 2020, Pandemic Action Network’s Pandemic Action Agenda series urged world leaders to strengthen global health security architecture and governance in key areas, including pandemic supplies, to increase accountability and ensure the world is better prepared for the next pandemic and to respond to COVID-19.

This brief takes stock of progress made since December 2020 to resolve the global personal protective equipment (PPE) access crisis, aims to assess supply and demand challenges specific to community health workers, and informs recommendations for world, regional, and national leaders to build a more reliable and sustainable emergency response supply chain for the future.

Today, we have compelling evidence of the risk of leaving frontline health workers unprotected or partially protected against COVID-19, and we still lack sustainable solutions. As we look toward year three of this pandemic and beyond, world, regional, and national leaders must learn the lessons of this crisis and continue to prioritize sufficient PPE for frontline health workers — especially those who serve the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach populations.

Read the full brief here.