| Overview : Dear Bidder, We kindly request you to submit your Proposal for Consultancy Services to Develop of a HDR Satellite Paper on Inequality in Access to Essential Health and Medicine [COVID-19 Vaccines] Under the shadow of the climate crisis and sweeping technological change, inequalities in human development are taking new forms in the 21st century. Inequalities in enhanced capabilities such as in health, higher education and access to the internet, reflect a person’s level of empowerment in a future already challenged by climate change, gender inequality and violent conflicts. Inequality in healthcare has brought about an unbalanced access to healthcare and medicine and is part of this next generation of inequalities, capable of pushing the wealthiest ahead. Even before COVID-19 hit, access to vaccines was deeply unequal with around 20 million children unable to access vaccines that could save them from serious diseases, death, disability, and ill health with more than 1.5 million people worldwide dying from vaccine-preventable diseases each year. Hence, all efforts to prevent, treat and contain COVID-19 must be based on the bedrock human-rights based principles of international solidarity, cooperation and assistance. There is no room for “supply and vaccine nationalism” or “vaccine diplomacy”. Decision-making about access to vaccines, essential tests and treatments, and all other medical goods, services and supplies must be based on international cooperation and multilateralism. The contracted organization will be responsible for the satisfactory development of a research piece on inequality in access to essential health and medicine, in today’s context the COVID-19 vaccine distribution; focusing on the deepening wealth and socio-economic inequalities potentially caused by it. Being a satellite paper to the Asia Pacific Regional Human Development report, the paper must adopt Asia and the Pacific countries as its area of focus. Please be guided by the form attached hereto as Annex 2 in preparing your Proposal. Do ensure that the financial proposal is separated with password protected. Proposals may be submitted on or before Thursday, 25 February, 2021 and via email to the address below: United Nations Development Programme Attention to: Procurement Team Email : procurement.my@undp.org Your Proposal must be expressed in the English, and valid for a minimum period of 60 days. | 
