Public policy debate on Tuesday 24 January 2023
15.00-16.30 hrs CET, set up as Zoom webinar

In the political declaration of the 2019 UN High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Universal Health Coverage “Moving Together to Build a Healthier World”, world leaders committed for all people to have access to quality essential health services and quality, safe, effective, affordable, and essential medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and health technologies, without experiencing financial hardship and without discrimination by 2030.

At the time, a number of civil society organizations criticised the political declaration which was considered a weak and unspecific wish-list that would not lead to any substantive change in people’s access to healthcare. Four years later, the World Health Organization and governments prepare for another UN HLM on UHC and a related World Health Assembly resolution. But the reality is dire: we have not “moved together” and the world is certainly not healthier. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened health systems and it has revealed the consequences of deep inequities, economic and financial injustice, commercialisation of healthcare, and the lack of solidarity and international action.

More specifically, according to the 2021 global monitoring report “Tracking universal health coverage”, some progress made in service coverage over the past 20 years has been in part offset by the COVID-19 pandemic while the targets regarding reducing financial hardship are far from being achieved. According to WHO, “although the majority of countries recognize universal health coverage as a goal that is reflected in laws and national plans, a lack of concrete operational steps coupled with inadequate public financing for health are pushing progress towards relevant targets for 2030 further off track.” (document EB152/5)

Anyhow, ambitions remain high. WHO wants to use the “opportunity afforded by WHO’s 75th anniversary in 2023 to inspire and catalyse additional multisectoral, multilateral action by governments and all relevant stakeholders towards the progressive realization of universal health coverage and health for all” (document EB152/5). And, in early 2023, UHC2030 launched an online consultation process on a proposed “Action Agenda from the UHC Movement”.

Programme
  • Welcome
  • Update on the state of preparations for the 2023 high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage
    Viroj Tangchaorensathien, Senior Advisor International health policy program, Thailand
    Shyama Kuruvilla, Senior Strategic Advisor UHC and Life Course, WHO Secretariat
    …talking with Thomas Schwarz, Medicus Mundi International Network
  • Civil society panel and discussion on key documents by WHO and UHC2030:
    How to make sense and use of the 2023 diplomacy on UHC?
    Manuj C Weerasinghe, University of Colombo, PHM Steering Council
    Dumi Gatsha, Success Capital, UHC2030 UN HLM Task Force, UHC2030 Steering Committee
    Eliana Monteforte, Global Health Council, CSEM Advisory Group
    …moderated by Barbara Fienieg, Wemos
  • Outlook and closure
Session doumentation
  • Zoom cloud recording: here
References
More about this session
  • Policy debate organized by MMI Network, People’s Health Movement, Save the Children and Wemos
    as part of a series of meetings organized by the Geneva Global Health Hub G2H2
  • G2H2 website with documentation of all sessions: https://g2h2.org/posts/january2023/
  • Languages: English, French, Spanish
  • Contact: Thomas Schwarz, MMI Secretariat