Science & Technology

What it takes to crush a pandemic | Johanna Benesty

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. An effective COVID-19 vaccine is just the first step in ending the pandemic, says global health strategist Johanna Benesty. In this illuminating talk, she explores the various barriers to “equitable access” — making sure COVID-19 therapeutics are available to…

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Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

An effective COVID-19 vaccine is just the first step in ending the pandemic, says global health strategist Johanna Benesty. In this illuminating talk, she explores the various barriers to “equitable access” — making sure COVID-19 therapeutics are available to all — and shares a creative approach to research and development that could ensure vaccines are rolled out fairly, efficiently and at a global scale.

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82 Comments

  1. Douglas B

    December 8, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    How to crush a pandemic? Create another—the seasonal flu

  2. Tanner LeClair

    December 8, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    I wish tedX wasn’t dying, I remember when they were for diversity of thought……..

    • hdmat101

      December 8, 2020 at 11:38 pm

      This is TED tho

  3. o Rebelo

    December 8, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    consultants have a lot to say … the world has gone through the Spanish flu the plague/ the future remains to be seen… that’s just my opinion

  4. pN Gaming

    December 8, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    WAHMEN

    • Bipin Maharjan

      December 8, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      Why WAH-MEN?
      Why not WAH-WOMEN?

    • pN Gaming

      December 8, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      @Bipin Maharjan Wah-Wah-Women

  5. MaleAdaptor

    December 8, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    Easy. Stop all the MSM and there. Gone.

  6. Lisa Love Ministries

    December 8, 2020 at 7:13 pm

    Seek God’s will daily THE Savior.
    John 3:16💞
    1 Corinthians 15
    Romans 10:9-10

    • Steve Muratore

      December 8, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      None of which will keep you safe from covid.

    • Steve Muratore

      December 8, 2020 at 8:56 pm

      Doesn’t it also say somewhere in Romans that death is an enemy?

    • Lisa Love Ministries

      December 8, 2020 at 9:13 pm

      @Steve Muratore Sin is eternal death which is why we have and need Savior.

  7. Ian

    December 8, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    Thank you Johanna ‘In your unqualified perspective’ Benesty for the worst TED talk I’ve ever listened too. Yet another non-qualified person spouting uneducated opinions about what everyone else should do. So to take TED’s precedent I will give my opinion. Our bodies have the most complex immune response system that has ever been created. All you need to do is keep your own body healthy and your body will do the rest. So how do we do that:
    1. Exercise
    2. Lose Weight
    3. Don’t smoke
    4. Minimise or eliminate sugar and alcohol
    5. Supplement your health diet with Vic C and D3

    Notice how no one is promoting ‘lose weight or stop smoking so you don’t burden the Health Services’ but instead they are promoting ‘take a vaccine that breaches the best tried and tested International regimes that for ALL other vaccines, medical treatments and medicines requires 10 years. I wonder why? which option makes the ‘Elite’ the most money!!!

    Thank you for taking the time to read this, I am Pro-Vaccine but only when it complies with Internationally recognised 10 year testing standards.

    • cinnamon8884

      December 8, 2020 at 9:38 pm

      these thinngs are no brainers. also healthy people still get covid – a body can be as healthy as it gets, if it`s confronted with a novel virus, the immune system can`t react properly.

    • Batra Chian

      December 8, 2020 at 10:16 pm

      I didn’t know COVID itself could post on YouTube.

  8. Shoveen Mishima

    December 8, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Covid isnt the problem now, its goverments, lockdown and mask wearing and politics and big tech and msm. Thats the actual problem. Just because THAT(c 18) is around, doesnt mean all other forms of death has suddenly stopped. Please man.

  9. Tom O'Connor

    December 8, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    A very interesting conversation by a highly intelligent woman. Thanks Johanna for sharing.

  10. Kevin Doble

    December 8, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    Takes having one to begin with fully proven by Kochs Postulants testing criteria, which we do not have.

  11. saumya mishra

    December 8, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Very good analysis! Thank you for your views.

  12. Pieter Vermond

    December 8, 2020 at 9:09 pm

    Get your immune system in order.

    • cinnamon8884

      December 8, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      that`s literally what a vaccine does.

    • Batra Chian

      December 8, 2020 at 10:14 pm

      Yes, with a vaccine. Until that’s out, stay home.

    • russky68

      December 9, 2020 at 12:19 am

      @Batra Chian
      I’ll tell all your food suppliers, doctors, healthcare workers etc to stay home..👍🏼

  13. Agent76

    December 8, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Tell all of the governments around the world to lock itself down and leave all of us people alone. We never asked for any breacrat to save any of us from the flu!

  14. eterna invidie

    December 8, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    united in truth. only.

  15. pumpkin&chow

    December 8, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    Hey if anyone is interested check my videos out of my pet monitors and other creepy crawlers I’d truly appreciate it and have an awesome day

  16. Raymond Reddington

    December 8, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    This girl is gorgeous.

    • B_Rad FrmBu

      December 8, 2020 at 11:57 pm

      Definitely

    • hdmat101

      December 8, 2020 at 11:57 pm

      Hah Simp

  17. Brian Cocks

    December 8, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    Revolution, obviously.
    Anyway if there is a pandemic, at least she’s around.

  18. Dan Lewis

    December 8, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    I recommend a rewrite of the honorable Ms Benesty’s statement.
    There are awkward bits that get in the way and weaken the message.

  19. tim beard

    December 8, 2020 at 11:14 pm

    😂 covid Time

    The most stupid time in human history

  20. WerewolfSlayer91

    December 8, 2020 at 11:21 pm

    What is this. The whole world is not going to get the vacine. You need tools to identify virus quickly. Vacinate in outbreaks and vaccinate exposed areas where the virus never seem to die out. Then The virus will die out. Look up “eradication of small pox” granted you cant see the corona virus symptoms but the principle is the same once you have effective tools to detect it you can treat that area.

  21. ryan gem matin-ao

    December 8, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    So true especially for those developing countries

  22. russky68

    December 9, 2020 at 12:17 am

    Ignore it… get on with your life as best you can..

  23. Valerie Sanchez

    December 9, 2020 at 12:23 am

    Just rewind to the swine flu and repeat how we overcame that incident.
    There you go.
    Problem solved.

  24. ezequiel Farfan

    December 9, 2020 at 12:56 am

    great !

    • TED

      December 9, 2020 at 1:25 am

      WRITE MY MANAGER MR HENRY MICHAEL ON WHAT SAPP TO MAKE GREAT PROFIT IN CRYPTO

      + 1 4 4. 2 2. 4. 4. 7 8. 8 1
      Do well to tell him I reffered you to him his strategies are top notch 🇱🇷🇱🇷☑️

  25. _ Grundel _

    December 9, 2020 at 1:11 am

    So a monologue from a non Doctor? Ted used to have good ideas from bright people with ACTUAL meaning. Ted has gone the way of pandering as it removes comments to censor people. Free Ideas come from free speech!

  26. Killing My neighbors

    December 9, 2020 at 2:43 am

    Don’t take the vaccine

  27. Learn Nation

    December 9, 2020 at 3:04 am

    well done

  28. Eman Puedama

    December 9, 2020 at 4:41 am

    Someone else can have mine.

  29. Eman Puedama

    December 9, 2020 at 4:44 am

    Virus?, what virus? It’s our own RNA for God’s sake. What an amazing scam.. Utter tripe.

  30. Mr Madd

    December 9, 2020 at 4:52 am

    Australia has pretty much eradicated the virus without a vaccine but through Draconian style order and authority and by closing our international/domestic borders. If every country did the same then the virus would have been eradicated globally within 6 mths. That would have been logical common sense to do that but corrupt big business and government didn’t want to do that. There’s no profit in being healthy. This video just screams of manipulative vaccine and collectivist propaganda!

  31. -봇튜브-

    December 9, 2020 at 4:52 am

    There is a story. There was 2 men. One wears a black shirt, pants, hat, sunglasses and black mask. The other one wears a short pants and a white shirt. In 2019 the First men is strange and The Second is ordinary. But in 2020, The first men is ordinary and The second is strange. How nuts are the world going on now

  32. -봇튜브-

    December 9, 2020 at 5:03 am

    I hate covid. Who agrees with me

  33. Steve NJ

    December 9, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Overly blatantly put: Excellent messaging, fucking horrific Messenger… who is the fucking joker who decided that this nobody should be listened to 😅😤😅

  34. Kevin Wells

    December 9, 2020 at 8:09 am

    I’m 64. I’m compromised with COPD. I work in a very public place. I’m a veteran. Where do I rank in the distribution? Give me a choice, one vaccination for me or for a child, regardless of who is more susceptible, I’m going with the child. But even before that, the health care workers. We need to keep them in place, or else everything falls apart. Anyway – whatever the formula is for the vaccine share it, manufacturer it wherever it can be done, and don’t count profits. I trust that we are not trying to gain profits (yet), because I believe in humans. But let’s get it out there, please, as quick as ‘humanely’ possible. Wow, what a challenge. Nice video Ms. Benesty, but I’m also not totally onboard with everything you said. But that’s because information changes daily, and in one day you are already behind. Cold storage is already becoming overcome for example. I think the order of immunization is the most important thing to work out quickly. What was it??? A 91 year old woman in the UK received the shot today? Why was that? I am glad for her, but what was the reason for the news article about this, and the reason to give her a shot? There’s not a lot of logic to this ‘solution’, or perhaps not enough logic shared with all of the rest of us. Anyway, sorry – you are making me think more about this, but I think our biggest problem will be the fact that we are ‘over’ infected already, and it takes awhile for the symptoms to manifest. So we don’t have a real handle on the number of actual infections yet, but we will soon I suspect. I’m typing to give myself therapy, mental at least, not so much in response to you at this point. I just don’t want anyone to give up hope but I think the cure will take awhile to realize… just because so many people have already been exposed. Hopefully the ability to treat people has actually improved. I need to quit typing. That’s making me sick enough.

  35. Z- FLEX

    December 9, 2020 at 9:27 am

    Stop trying to brainwash people. Im not taking a vaccine. Just put s Chinese flag over the white house or NWO order flag and be honest about it. What an insult to peoples intelligence. Get it over with already and may God have mercy on us.

  36. stuck in the Pattaya bubble

    December 9, 2020 at 11:01 am

    Turn your phone off and TV off. Plandemic over 👍

  37. Neil Cooke

    December 9, 2020 at 11:30 am

    What pandemic lies

  38. Anamika Kakshapati

    December 9, 2020 at 11:44 am

    I’m just watching it to improve my English

    • Cristobal Alvarez

      December 9, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      Improve the listening skills or the speech?

    • Anamika Kakshapati

      December 9, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      @Cristobal Alvarez listening

    • 西宮理菜

      December 9, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      Also do I:-)

    • Gæsty

      December 9, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      Way to go!

    • Will Sutton

      December 10, 2020 at 8:00 am

      Make sure you don’t pronounce “vitamin” like her lol

    • Islom Askarov

      December 10, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      me too

    • Amami Haruka

      December 10, 2020 at 6:07 pm

      Me too!

    • Gabriel Koczkodaj

      December 13, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      Same

    • Salvador Dorante

      December 14, 2020 at 5:12 am

      @Cristobal Alvarez ni u BV

  39. Nuno Luís

    December 9, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    Nice actress!! Well or not very good actually she’s reading or however she’s not emotionally connect with the speach, it’s obvious on the behaviour, posture, voice tone.
    Moderna, Novavax, AstraZeneca, Sinovax…. ???? Who paid for this video?
    Strong well-nourished immune systems can handle the virus, but that’s not interesting to talk about, it doesn’t move billions…
    It’s all just about business. Novavax grown 541% since march! Moderna 436% estimates 1.5 B in profit in 2022!
    Concerned with public health? With pour countries?? yeahhh!
    But be careful, I’m maybe just a maniac conspiracionist!

  40. Ghizlan Bendenguir

    December 9, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    I use watching this videos just for imroving my lesning cause i have a big problem with it 🌼💛

  41. Kavya Jain

    December 9, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    I think she is not from America she speaks diffrent language but she learnt english and she very very very good at this ted talk

    • Rome Blanchard

      December 9, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      She literally spoke french on the first 20 seconds of the video mate

  42. Rome Blanchard

    December 9, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    She looks like Dodie Clark

  43. Nukala Mahesh

    December 9, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    You are Absolutely right mam. I wish this happens as you said.

  44. Ayush Sharma

    December 9, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    But what if a pandemic is your crush

  45. Gas Axe

    December 9, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    I have enjoyed the comments more than this woman’s sales pitch.
    I have a question for all of you.
    Why has no one done Study on Nicaragua and the affects of letting the virus run its course?
    President Ortega promoted gatherings and fiestas.
    No lock downs.
    Very little testing was done.
    I always wonder if they reached herd immunity🤔

  46. Sprypine Games

    December 9, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    Why did I read the title as what it takes to crush a baby

  47. Gabriel Olson

    December 9, 2020 at 10:51 pm

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  48. Ryan S

    December 10, 2020 at 1:17 am

    Hopefully people are catching on? Who pays for TED? Just stop ur b’s. Really educate people instead of killing them. U don’t have to kill people if u educate them.

  49. Drew Dunn

    December 10, 2020 at 7:02 am

    Garbage. I thought ted talks were just given from a persons knowledge and ability to present. Ted Talks shouldn’t be edited. She’s selling vaccines like they are a casual everyday thing, this is shady. Vaccines OR healthy lifestyle and confidence in your immune system? Thumbs down.

  50. Will Sutton

    December 10, 2020 at 8:07 am

    Omg what is wrong with this comment thread. The coronavirus is real and a serious concern, and I’m glad she is using her knowledge to inform us that just developing the vaccine isn’t going to stop this global pandemic! Very unfortunate and eye opening Ted talk

  51. TheSergillop

    December 10, 2020 at 9:16 am

    Nonsense provocation

  52. Ajay Baghel

    December 10, 2020 at 10:43 am

    I am used to watch TED to knowledge

  53. rajan daniels

    December 10, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    This is a very intelligent approach however I have a question. In a world where we can’t figure out how to distribute resources evenly and we are changing our environment so fast that thousands of species are going extinct and very possibly one day we ourselves because of our own actions why would we need to stop something that is only killing a small part of the population? And if the isolation is killing our economy and more importantly not allowing us to live life more people are depressed, drugs, suicide all these things are going up why don’t we just let C19 do it’s thing and we get heard immunity the natural way and they’ll be a few less of us which will be sad but Life Will Go on. What’s wrong with that?

  54. Invox

    December 12, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    The right President? 😬

  55. Joey Barrelwilde

    December 13, 2020 at 3:34 pm

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  56. Sunil Kumar

    December 14, 2020 at 1:59 pm

    Pandemic not need to be crushed. It has to be overwhelmed.

  57. che disagio

    December 15, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    smash patriarchy

  58. Charles Magnuson

    December 16, 2020 at 6:02 am

    It sounds like Johanna’s voice can’t decide whether it wants a French or an American accent.

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