The power and promise of the Global Nexus

There is reason for optimism as we mark the end of 2022. It was a year that saw COVID-19 vaccination rates increase around the world and deaths decline.

This season is also a powerful reminder of our continuing vulnerability to infectious diseases. Our communities are experiencing surges of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), putting children and older people at risk. Hundreds of Canadians are still dying of COVID-19 each week, while countless others continue to struggle with the health and economic impacts of long COVID.

This third winter of the pandemic is proof of the challenges we still face, and a testament to the power and promise of the Global Nexus.

We launched the Global Nexus at McMaster University because we know that new vaccines and drugs are no match for weak public health policy and misinformation campaigns. Masks can’t protect us if leaky supply chains leave healthcare workers without PPE. As long as vaccines, drugs, and evidence are not accessible to everyone around the world — the pandemic will continue and future ones will thrive.

Building on McMaster’s global leadership in infectious disease research, the Global Nexus is an innovation hub where research, learning and community come together in new ways. Effective pandemic solutions will only happen when health care providers, scientists, and scholars from every discipline work closely with business leaders, Indigenous Peoples, entrepreneurs, community members and policy makers. We know that ethicists and engineers and social scientists and doctors, need to collaborate to create solutions that reach everyone.

Our innovative education and training programs will prepare leaders for the complex realities of pandemic preparedness, while our commitment to working with Indigenous Peoples and members of diverse communities will ensure our solutions are inclusive and foster health and prosperity for all.

We are proud of the advances our Global Nexus team has made on a new inhaled COVID-19 vaccine. It has proven to be more effective and will be less costly than traditional vaccines. The true measure of our success, however, will happen outside of the lab, when we can share this life-saving technology with people around the world who need it the most.