Twenty-twenty-one was not the year we anticipated—one in which COVID-19 would wane and we could step out from behind our masks and refocus on global health issues neglected since early 2020. Instead, many of the problems associated with the pandemic in 2020 carried over to the new year. COVID vaccines, while a credit to science and technology, faced demand and distribution issues as supply chains and economies failed to rebound. The world is still struggling to contain COVID-19 variants, including the newest, omicron. Countries that pride themselves on democracy have been shaken by internal conflicts. And as nations push to curb the spread of the virus, there’s been a rush to enact border restrictions and reduce economic fallout.

Despite the tumult of the past two years, more recent glimmers of hope include a fresh emphasis on the creation of a pandemic treaty to better prepare the world for the next pandemic, and we’re seeing increased interest in climate change and its impact on global health.  

To round up the ups and downs of the past year, our editorial team compiled a list of our favorite twenty-one articles for ’21—stories we think captured the essence of the past year, including some that include ideas and visions our global health community can act on in 2022.