TY - JOUR T1 - New waves, new variants, old inequity: a continuing COVID-19 crisis JF - BMJ Global Health JO - BMJ Global Health DO - 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007031 VL - 6 IS - 8 SP - e007031 AU - Senjuti Saha AU - Arif Mohammad Tanmoy AU - Afroza Akter Tanni AU - Sharmistha Goswami AU - Syed Muktadir Al Sium AU - Sudipta Saha AU - Shuborno Islam AU - Yogesh Hooda AU - Apurba Rajib Malaker AU - Ataul Mustufa Anik AU - Md Saidul Haq AU - Tasnim Jabin AU - Md Mobarok Hossain AU - Nazifa Tabassum AU - Hafizur Rahman AU - Md Jibon Hossain AU - Mohammad Shahidul Islam AU - Samir K Saha Y1 - 2021/08/01 UR - http://gh.bmj.com/content/6/8/e007031.abstract N2 - Summary boxBangladesh continues to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.The country has experienced two waves and is currently fighting its third and deadliest wave, driven by the delta variant.In the first week of July 2021, cases have risen by 38%.With limited vaccine supplies, increasing variants, a population tired of restrictions and an overwhelmed health system, Bangladesh is at a precipice.But more concerningly, our plight is not unique - low-income and middle-income countries now contribute to a higher proportion of global COVID-19 cases but have received the minimum number of vaccine doses.A vaccine apartheid has left the countries in the Global South reeling from what is now a preventable disease.Despite following all of the ‘rules’ set mainly by high-income countries—vying for bilateral deals with countries/companies and contributing to COVAX—Bangladesh finds itself confronting a disastrous third wave as rich countries prepare to drop restrictions related to SARS-CoV-2.Here, we, a group of scientists in Bangladesh, use data from a SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance study, our lived experiences and historical trends of vaccine access to argue that it is time for low-income and middle-income countries to realise that as long as we are not self-sufficient in vaccine production, this trend will continue.Bangladesh, a country of 166 million people, continues to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first three cases of COVID-19 in Bangladesh were detected on 8 March 2020 among a group of travellers. Since then, the country has experienced two waves—in June 2020 and April 2021. In July 2021, less than 3 months after the second wave, Bangladesh is currently fighting its third and by far the deadliest wave. Like most other countries in South Asia, Bangladesh continues to experience waves of infections caused by different variants of concern, precipitated by the massive inequity … ER -