Alongside the seventy-sixth World Health Assembly week, UHC2030 and CSEM co-hosted a Networking Space from Monday 22 May to Thursday 25 May. The aim was to provide a space for UHC advocates and partners interested in UHC to network, learn from each other, and plan activities ahead of the September UN High-level meetings.
Partners could drop in to exchange informally around a coffee, listen to key notes around the Action Agenda from the UHC movement, and watch the livestream of WHA roundtables which were taking place just steps away at the Pala
is des Nations. The space was also available to be booked by our partners to organize their own in-person meeting.
Zoom on UHC Partners Sessions
During these sessions, we had the pleasure of welcoming several Civil Society Organizations and UHC partners to share their news and priorities for ensuring universal health coverage for all and to discuss the latest updates from the WHA.
On Monday 22 May, the team of Women in Global Health held a session on “Envisioning Change: Gender Equality Forecasts for the WHA” to provide a comprehensive understanding of the WGH’s focus areas and goals. The session set the scene by introducing and discussing the agenda items that have been closely monitored during the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA).
For more information: Have a look at the annual gender count of Chief Delegates, highlighting both progress made and enduring challenges in achieving gender equity at the World Health Assembly (WHA).
On Tuesday 23 May, Global Health Council (GHC) organized a working group on Health Equity for UHC. Civil society organizations joined to discuss how to address health equity for strengthening health systems to achieve UHC. During this session, data from the state of UHC commitment reports, the Action Agenda for the HLM on UHC and other relevant information were examined in depth to outline the most critical health equity challenges that must be addressed as part of ongoing global advocacy.
For more information, read the GHC May Newsletter here
- On Wednesday 24 May, a discussion focused on UHC and the inclusion of persons with disabilities and older people was held by Inclusive Health TG – IDDC. It was an opportunity to learn more about the briefing paper on “Universal Health Coverage must leave no one behind: a call for action to advance health equity for persons with disabilities and older people in the new political declaration on UHC”, in preparation of the upcoming High-Level Meeting in September. Smitha Sadasivan, Civil Society Representative for the Global South on the UHC2030 Steering Committee, joined online from India to promote UHC for all.
For more information, download the briefing for IDDC here.
- On Thursday 25 May, the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) held a close briefing session with young delegates to provide them with a practical understanding of the current state of affairs globally on UHC. An insightful interactive dialogue on vision, commitments and progress on UHC worldwide, with a focus on the role of young health students, health workers, and collective action in strengthening the building blocks of health systems towards UHC.
For more information, visit the IFMSA website here
Zoom on UHC Key Notes
Throughout the week, we also had the honour to welcome key notes speakers to deepen health-related processes in the High-level meeting year, and themes around the Action Agenda form the UHC Movement. We discussed about the importance of youth engagement with Kristina Almazidou, the Action Agenda from the UHC Movement with Justin Koonin, Gender and UHC with Dr Shabnum Safraz and the importance of UHC reforms at the national level and the role of the UHC Commission with Robert Yates.
Thank you to all #UHC advocates and colleagues who join us at the Networking Space!
More information
UHC2030 WHA page: https://www.uhc2030.org/news-and-events/events/world-health-assembly-2023/
UHC2030 May 2023 Newsflash: WHA and other updates: https://uhc2030.cmail20.com/t/d-e-vltuuut-ikkrkysjj-ju/
