Covid

Health

Ruchir Agarwal with a Proposal to End the Pandemic

RUCHIR AGARWAL

June 16, 2021

IMF plan makes the business case for stepping up vaccination programs worldwide. (iStock by Getty Images/ Eloi_Omella)
  • Covid
RUCHIR AGARWAL - Ruchir Agarwal with a Proposal to End the Pandemic
75
In This Episode
There will be no durable end to the economic crisis until enough people around the world are vaccinated against Covid-19 and its variants to put the health crisis behind us. Economist Ruchir Agarwal and IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath have joined forces to come up with a plan that would make that happen. In this podcast, Agarwal says the return on investment for ending the pandemic could reach $9 trillion, one of the highest-return investments ever. Read the Transcript

RUCHIR AGARWAL is a cofounder of the Global Talent Fund and the director of the Raj Center at Columbia University.

Join Us on Every Major Platform

BEHIND THE MIC

Bruce Edwards

International Monetary Fund

Bruce Edwards produces the IMF podcast program. He's an award-winning audio producer and journalist who's covered armed conflicts, social unrest, and natural disasters from all corners of the world. He believes economists have an important role in solving the world's problems and aspires to showcase their research in every IMF podcast.

Rhoda Metcalfe

RHODA METCALFE is an independent journalist and audio producer.

About IMF Podcasts

IMF Podcasts are the views of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff and external officials on pressing economic and policy issues of the day. The IMF, based in Washington D.C., is an organization of 191 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation and financial stability around the world. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF and its Executive Board.

© 2025 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED