Two instances of trust deficit during the COVID-19 pandemic reveal that trust-building is a process based on past experiences of people, built through engagement with institutions and service providers over a longer period. First, it is in the context of accessing treatment in the midst of inadequate access to healthcare, and second, about vaccine hesitancy. There is a need to acknowledge the role of public trust for effective public health practice, especially when the science behind the programme is intellectually arduous for the common public.
