Please find below a list of webinars, report launches, and other virtual events around UHC Day from our partners for the week of Dec 7-12. For more events including partner activities in-country, see the Global Heatmap — 50 UHC Day activities & counting!
For more information and resources for UHC Day, visit the campaign site: www.universalhealthcoverageday.org
TUESDAY, 8 DECEMBER
1pm UTC: UHC Day Dialogues: Integration of noncommunicable diseases into universal health coverage in the era of COVID-19
Organized by the NCD Alliance, Register
Join speakers to discuss global progress towards integration of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) into UHC benefit packages. The event will discuss two new knowledge products: (1) “Protecting Everyone: integration of Noncommunicable Diseases into Universal Health Coverage in the era of COVID-19”, a policy research report; and (2) Key results from the 2020 global consultation of people living with NCDs. Interpretation in French, English and Spanish available.
WEDNESDAY, 9 DECEMBER
2pm UTC: Launch of Global Health Expenditure Report 2020
Organized by WHO, Join
WHO has released new health expenditure data and the report “Global Spending on Health: Weathering the Storm”, focusing on trends and challenges in health spending and progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main findings and messages will be summarized in a short presentation during the event, followed by panels including representatives from countries, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and partner agencies.
THURSDAY, 10 DECEMBER
11am UTC: PHC in UHC Workshop
Organized by AfroPHC, Register here
As you probably know AfroPHC is bringing together all frontline workers in PHC to advocate for PHC and UHC. The theme is “Taking PHC Workforce issues forward under UHC” The 3 hour workshop will consist of a plenary of 60 min and then group discussions for 60 min and feedback in the next 60min. You may also join the meeting an hour later for cycles of networking in small groups; indicate at registration.
12:30pm UTC: Celebrating Ten Years of Joint Learning Towards UHC
Organized by the Joint Learning Network, Register here
Policymakers and practitioners from countries in the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) will join champions and supporters from the JLN’s partner organizations in a retrospective of JLN’s accomplishments and progress. Plan to join us as we retrace the evolution and growth of the network, the unique features and feats that have made the JLN what it is today, and the progress JLN members have made toward stronger health systems and universal health coverage.
2pm UTC: No health without mental health: The urgent need for mental health integration in Universal Health Coverage
Organized by United for Global Mental Health and Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030, Register here
A new report from the United for Global Mental Health outlines the significance of mental health within the UHC agenda and how decision makers can ensure its full integration into UHC programmes. It was authored with Prof Shekhar Saxena and reviewed by a team of experts including Dr Githinji Gitahi, Dr Lola Kola and Prof Vikram Patel. Guest speakers include Prof Shekhar Saxena, former Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the WHO, and Charlene Sunkel, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Mental Health Peer Network with lived experience.
2pm UTC: Advancing Migrants’ Access to Universal Health Coverage in times of COVID-19: High Level Virtual Policy Discussion to commemorate Universal Health Coverage Day 2020
Organized by the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Group of Friends of Migration, Register here
IOM Director General António Vitorino and IFRC President Francesco Rocca welcome you to join the discussion between first responders and decision-makers, to galvanize support for global health security approaches in which universal health coverage and inclusion of all migrants are central.
2pm UTC: Steering, not drifting, rowing, not sinking – a new WHO strategy for navigating private sector engagement for UHC
Organized by WHO and UHC2030, Register here
The WHO Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for UHC has developed a Strategy Report on “Engaging the private health service delivery sector through governance in mixed health systems” to formulate its recommendations on private sector engagement to meet UHC goals in a clear, compelling and actionable way for member states. This report and launch event will include discussions on engaging with the private sector for UHC objectives of equity, access, quality and financial protection.
4pm UTC: Civil Society Solidarity: Building Bridges across Global Health Advocacy in Crisis Times
Organized by Global Health Council and CSEM
The transition of events to a virtual format has limited civil society participation in the age of COVID-19. How can we push back on that trend and what lessons have we learned so far? Panelists will share their experiences and insights on barriers or breakthroughs for civil society advocacy across multilateral fora and convenings. Speakers also will highlight additional opportunities for collective advocacy across health and development or domestic and international campaigns in the medium and long term, as countries continue to respond to or recover from the pandemic, demonstrating alignment on multiple policy fronts.
FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER
12:15pm UTC: Public Financial Management for UHC2030: Global Directors’ Conversations
Organized by the World Bank Group
The event includes launch and introduction to two key products: FinHealth, the PFM in Health tool for improving service delivery developed jointly by HNP Global Practice and Governance Global Practice in collaboration with Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation; and Global Policy note on ‘Public financial management for universal health coverage: why and how it matters’ produced under the Financial Management Technical Working Group under UHC2030 partnership, bringing together countries, multilateral health organizations, civil society, private sector and foundations.
1pm UTC: Lives in the Balance: Achieving universal health coverage and leaving no one behind in a COVID-19 world
Organized by PMNCH, UHC2030 and Core Group, Register here
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), CORE Group and UHC2030 will convene partners across the globe for a virtual summit to take stock of how COVID-19 is impacting the progress towards UHC commitments. This interactive event will provide a space to reflect on progress and challenges and share best practices; identify ways to strengthen multistakeholder collaboration; and mobilize meaningful action to protect the progress on UHC and women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health. The event will provide an opportunity to launch both the inaugural State of UHC Commitment and the political commitments to PMNCH’s key COVID-19 Call to Action asks announced in July.
1pm UTC: Health for all: Protecting everyone through PHC-centred Universal Health Coverage
Organized by WHO, Livestream
This virtual event will highlight major progress in countries, the challenges remaining, and how the initiatives and capacities developed by WHO and its partners as part of the UHC movement provide key support for effective health system functioning in the COVID-19 pandemic context. WHO’s new Primary Health Care Special Programme and the new WHO UHC Compendium of Health Interventions will be launched at this event.
2:00pm UTC: Accountability to the people to ensure “health for all: protect everyone”
Organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in collaboration with: Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), UNITE Global Network of Parliamentarians to End Infectious Diseases, World Hepatitis Alliance and NCD Alliance, Register here
This webinar will support the theme, “health for all: protect everyone”, by highlighting the importance of accountability to people to ensure implementation of a human rights-based UHC with comprehensive and integrated services. It will provide a voice to people with lived experiences, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where services have been failing to meet people’s needs.
2:00pm UTC: Addressing Rare Diseases through UHC
Organized by Rare Diseases International and EURORDIS, Register here
This event will explore the potential for UHC policies to support accessible and improved care for persons living with a rare disease. Join an interactive dialogue on how the rare disease community is advocating at national, regional and international level to advance UHC programmes that address the challenges faced by people living with a rare disease. To prepare for the discussion, participants are asked to reflect on questions available on the registration page and may share their responses at the meeting.
2:30pm UTC: Midwives and nurses and universal health coverage: The critical role of women for access to services during COVID-19 times
Organized by France, WHO, UHC2030 and Global Health Workforce Network, Register here
The event aims to highlight the role of women in health systems in developing countries, primarily midwives and nurses who play an essential role as frontline health workers in the national COVID-19 responses, particularly in maintaining access to primary care and sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health. During the event, the French Government will launch an initiative to mobilize partners around better representation of women in health leadership and decision making as well as decent working conditions that will culminate with a high-level event during the Generation Equality Forum in June 2021. Interpretation in French and English available.
12 DECEMBER – UHC Day!
Join the 24-hour #ProtectEveryone Virtual Rally, with three ways to participate: Create, Amplify, Move. Recreate the energy, diversity and unity of a UHC Day rally, and get as many people involved as possible. Friends, family, colleagues all welcome, especially in a year where COVID-19 has made the fight for Health for All personal for just about everyone.
- CREATE: Make a virtual rally “sign” inspired by the Protect Everyone theme, take a picture and post it on 12.12 using the #ProtectEveryone hashtag. This could be anything from a family creating “rally posters” with advocacy messages, to an organization filming a short video about what health care should look like in their community, to an individual creating an artistic representation of COVID-19’s impact on the world this year.
- AMPLIFY: Tell the world our movement is here to stay. Take a selfie in a face mask or using this year’s custom #ProtectEveryone social media materials and then post a message on 12.12 calling on world leaders to Protect Everyone.
- MOVE: Following local social distancing guidelines, hit the streets in the spirit of Health for All solidarity. Bring a face mask and take a short ~5 second video or selfie of yourself walking, running, or however you are able to be active. Post it on social media with a message on why you’re moving to raise awareness of the need to #ProtectEveryone.
TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER
1pm UTC: Lessons for Global Health from COVID-19: UHC and Preparedness
Organized by WHO, UHC2030, Health System Governance Collaborative and the UHC Partnership, Register here
Join a virtual session entitled Social Participation and people‘s voices: the missing piece in the UHC puzzle. This event will bring together government stakeholders, academia, and civil society actors to discuss key handbook messages around the concrete topics policy-makers fact in the practice of social participation: designing a participatory space, ensuring representativeness of participants, building capacity for participation, and much more. A conference copy launch of this comprehensive guidance book for policy-makers on the ‘how’ of social participation will be available to session participants. The event is moderated by Robert Yates, Executive Director, Centre for Universal Health, Chatham House, UK. Following a presentation of the handbook by Dheepa Rajan, Technical officer, WHO, a panel discussion will bring together government representatives and civil society advocates for a lively discussion that will illustrate and raise awareness on how to make inroads towards UHC through social participation.
WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER
9am UTC: Lessons for Global Health from COVID-19: UHC and Preparedness
Organized by Chatham House, Register here
In the context of COVID-19, there have been extraordinary acts of solidarity and expressions of ‘togetherness’, but there have also been many challenges. From politicization of the pandemic and the response efforts to resource-hoarding, travel restrictions, trade bans, and misinformation, the multilateral system has been truly tested – and the test is not over. Panellists, including Keizo Takemi, Mary Robinson, and Zsuzsanna Jakab, reflect on the concept of solidarity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss the ways in which solidarity has been both fostered and undermined.
2pm UTC: Health Security and Universal Health Coverage: Opportunities and trade-offs
Organized by Management Sciences for Health, Register here
COVID-19 has reignited debates around the synergies and tensions between UHC and global health security. Has prioritizing one come at the expense of the other? Do investments targeted toward containing outbreaks hamper a health system’s ability to achieve equitable access and a more sustainable future? Can we rethink how we approach both for a more cohesive, effective response overall? Join the conversation among global and country-level health experts on the opportunities and challenges faced by countries and development partners as they work to advance UHC and enhance capacities for pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery.
