ACHESTs executive director attended the Universal Health Coverage UHC2030 meeting in Geneva.
Prof. Francis Omaswa, the Executive Director of African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) attended the Universal Health Coverage (UHC 2030) meeting with the theme - Working Together to Strengthen Health Systems from 12-13 December2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. The objective of the meeting was to foster productive exchange between various health systems partnerships, actors and agencies aimed at building awareness of UHC2030 and explore how to improve collaboration.
UCH2030 initiative builds on the IHP+ initiative and the aim of transforming the IHP+ mandate to UHC initiative is to provide a platform for accelerated, coordinated and sustainable progress towards a universal health coverage in which all partners share the vision of equitable and quality health care that does not cause financial hardships.
Participants that attended the meeting included members of health systems related initiatives in
Prof. Francis Omaswa (in the middle) speaking to some of the participants during the meeting in Geneva. the following health areas: financing and protection, governance, workforce, data, integrated people centred health services, medicines, policy and systems research, and learning and knowledge sharing. Representatives from a range of governments, international development agencies, academia and civil society organizations took part in what turned out to be an energizing and exciting event.
Prof. Francis Omaswa made a presentation in one of the parallel sessions on Human Resources for Health and highlighted the following issues: 1. The global HRH situation will get more complex in the future and requires strong institutions for coordination and joint learning. 2. The Board of the African Platform for HRH met and will convene a members Forum in April 2017.
Dr. Jeanette Vega, the Director of National Chilean Public Health Insurance Agency (FONASA) while giving a keynote address noted that UHC has gained tremendous global momentum in the last few years. Achieving UHC means that all people in the world can access the quality health services they need without suffering financial hardship. Agreeing on the adequate way to fund health systems to maximize financial coverage for health is an imperative.
Dr. Vega urged governments to avoid fragmentation derived from creating separate pools and health coverage schemes for rich and poor populations.
Resilient and inclusive health systems are also increasingly recognized as a first line of defense against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
The meeting unanimously agreed that it is time for transformation change in the way health systems issues are transacted within countries.