The space was accessible anytime from 8:30 to 5:30 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and everyone is welcome to pass by to meet, network, and discuss advocacy strategies to drive action on UHC at the country level.

Monday, May 27

8:30 – 9:00:  Informal exchange and networking – Free coffee, tea, snacks

9:30-10:30: Election advocacy guide and the role of youth in the electoral process.

Organizers: UHC2030, CSEM

Open session

Objectives

• Introduce the election advocacy guide, which provides information and tools to advocate for UHC during elections and hold policy-makers accountable for their commitments.
• Strengthen and sustain political momentum for the implementation of the 2023 Political Declaration on UHC.
• Strengthen youth engagement to drive progress on UHC at the country level.

12:30-13:45: UHC2030 and Women in Global Health working session

Organizers: UHC2030, Women in Global Health

Closed session

14:00 – 15:30: South-South Collaboration: Harnessing Cross-Country Learning for Sustainable Health System Policy Reforms

Organizers: Amref Health Africa

Register here: https://newsroom.amref.org/the-seventy-seventh-world-health-assembly-wha77/ 

Objectives: The session draws on experiences derived from innovative learning platforms like the Joint Learning Network for UHC (JLN), Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Centre, and Universal Health Coverage Lab (UHC Lab). These platforms bring together policymakers and practitioners, employing a diverse array of cross-country learning methods (such as peer-to-peer learning workshops, country pairing, coaching, Lab storms/peer assists, study visits, etc.) with an aim to facilitate collaborative problem-solving and foster an environment conducive to continuous learning and knowledge exchange.This session offers practical insights into the application of diverse cross-country learning methods, fostering an understanding of their relevance across varied contexts. Additionally, participants will reflect on key factors supporting successful learning exchanges such as, emphasizing the importance of committing resources to purposeful, ongoing, and organized engagement with practitioners from different countries, coupled with the capacity to promptly and adaptively respond to emerging learning requirements. The session also explores the necessity for adaptive and participatory approaches to learning, recognizing the evolving nature of technical challenges. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into shared elements and common challenges associated with health systems reform, contributing to a deeper understanding of the interconnected nature of global health goals.

16:00-17:00: Mutually Reinforcing? The role of the Pandemic Accord in the context of Universal Health Coverage

Organizers: Civil Society Alliance for Human Rights in the Pandemic Treaty

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexF2WbVu0rYjYW7o2zISBCKn372KBz94X-DLT84SH4KaEemw/viewform 

This session will focus on:

• Exploring how efforts towards achieving universal health coverage and the implementation of the Pandemic Accord (expected to be agreed in May 2024) can be linked and strengthened
• Identifying opportunities to institutionalise participatory governance arrangements that enable meaningful multistakeholder, whole-of-society engagement, including civil society and communities in the context of UHC and the Pandemic Accord

17:00-17:30: Informal exchange and networking

Tuesday, May 28

8:30 – 9:00:  Informal exchange and networking – Free coffee, tea, snacks

10:30 – 12:00: Accelerating progress towards universal health coverage: dialogue between Parliamentarians, youth and civil society

Organizers: UHC2030, IPU, UNITE, CSEM, WHO Youth Council, IFMSA, IPSF

Session on invitation only

Join a frank and open discussion on the key challenges that MPs are facing when trying to pass the needed reforms to accelerate progress on UHC, in particular when it comes to investing in equitable and resilient health systems and ensuring financial protection, particularly for people in vulnerable and marginalized situations. Young people and CSO representatives will be invited to share their interests, ideas, and concerns as voters, in particular when it comes to fostering equity in health and institutionalizing social participation in health governance to ensure active participation of all stakeholders, build trust and better accountability.

Objectives

1. Provide space for and facilitate meaningful dialogue between Parliamentarians, youth and civil society.
2. Identify priority actions to strengthen collaboration between MPs, youth and civil society to advance UHC and equity at the country level
3. Encourage Parliamentarians to legislate, invest and collaborate with all of society to make UHC that leaves no one behind a reality.
4. Encourage youth to advocate for UHC and participate in health policy discussions.
5. Emphasize the importance of civil society in promoting UHC and identify effective strategies for their engagement in UHC advocacy and policy development.

13:00 – 14:00: For the People, With the People: Joining Hands & Using Evidence to Implement the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA 77) Resolution on Social Participation for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

Organizers: The Social Participation for Health Engagement, Research and Empowerment (SPHERE)

Register here: https://forms.gle/7DyCsDM6o9tUWQTr6

Objectives:  Inform civil society about country-specific experiences and scientific evidence regarding meaningful and inclusive social participation in decision-making related to health. Mobilize civil society to build political support for co-implementing commitments within the WHA77 resolution on Social Participation for Health and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the national and regional level(s) Disseminate advocacy tools that have been developed to support civil society actions related to the implementation of the WHA77 resolution on Social participation.

Learn more on the SPHERE website here.

14:00 – 15:00: Where Next on Gender Equal UHC: A Dialogue Post 2019 and 2023 HLMs

Organizers: The Alliance for Gender Equality and UHC

Register here

2023 marked the midpoint of the SDGs and the historic adoption of two Political Declarations on health, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPRR), by the UNGA in September. It was strongly emphasized in these fora that progress towards UHC is underwhelming, making it imperative that commitments are translated into concrete, context-based action plans to strengthen health systems. This shift towards action should put gender at its core as UHC will only be universal when it addresses the health rights of all women and girls, and global health will only be secure when the women health workers delivering UHC have a fair social contract based on equal pay, decent work and equality in decision-making.

15:30-16:30: The Lusaka Agenda: Where are we and where to next?

Organizers: UHC2030, Amref Health Africa, the Lusaka Agenda Working Group Secretariat

Register here (in person and online): https://www.eventbrite.ch/e/wha-side-event-the-lusaka-agenda-where-are-we-and-where-to-next-tickets-909980916417?aff=oddtdtcreator 

The Lusaka Agenda, launched on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, 12 December 2023, builds from existing efforts and presents five key shifts for the long-term evolution of global health initiatives (GHIs) – and the wider health ecosystem – and highlights a number of near-term priorities to catalyze action towards the five shifts, as part of country-led trajectories to UHC.

The objectives of this CSO roundtable, which is co-hosted by UHC 2030 and Lusaka Agenda Working Group Co-Chairs Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General, Ghana Health Service and Desta Lakew, Group Director of Partnerships and External Affairs, Amref Health Africa, are for meeting participants to:

1. Hear how partners are taking forward the Lusaka Agenda’s five key shifts in their work
2. Discuss how civil society organizations are engaging/can engage, and,
3. Provide input into early thinking on what arrangements could look like for ongoing collaboration to advance the five shifts in the broader global health financing ecosystem.

16:30-17:00: Informal exchange and networking

Wednesday, May 29

8:30 – 9:00:  Informal exchange and networking – Free coffee, tea, snacks

9:00-10:30: Advancing health equity for persons with disabilities and older people within progress towards UHC

Organizers: International Disability and Development Consortium

Open session

Objectives:

• Bring together stakeholders working on health equity and UHC
• Learn about WHO’s Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities and the upcoming guide for action
  • Hear about the road to the 2025 High Level Meeting on NCDs and mental health, and opportunities for civil society engagement in the year ahead
  • Explore opportunities for how we can most effectively work together to mainstream disability and age inclusion into progress towards UHC at all levels, and embed intersectional, inclusive and rights-based approaches through the fourth High Level Meeting on NCDs and mental health in September 2025

13:00-14:15: Strategic roundtable on Economics and financing of health and well-being for all: A bold new vision for achieving universal health coverage

This WHA session will be livestreamed at the networking space.

Open session

Objectives of this roundtable:

This roundtable will delve into pivotal new opportunities for WHO Member States and parliaments to reposition Health For All as a shared responsibility across sectors and a powerful driver of sustainable and equitable development. Urgent investments in health—with a strong focus on reorienting health systems towards primary health care to achieve universal health coverage—represents a key global priority. It is crucial to increasing the resilience of communities to future health crises, and will ensure the delivery of quality healthcare for all in an increasingly turbulent world.

15:30-16:30: Advance Ear and Hearing Care to make Universal Health Coverage a reality

Organizers: Christian Blind Mission (CBM), International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (IFOS), International Society of Audiology (ISA), WHO

Session on invitation only

Objectives:

• Give information on the current challenges in realising Ear and Hearing Care globally
• Call to action for a new WHA resolution on the topic in 2025

16:30-17:30:Informal Discussion Session on NSA Engagement

Organizers: The Global Health Council (GHC)

By invitation only

16:30-17:00: Informal exchange and networking