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The Seventy-Sixth World Health Assembly
UHC advocates walked the talk for universal health coverage at the 76th World Health Assembly
The seventy-sixth World Health Assembly (WHA) is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21–30 May, with the theme “WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all.” UHC2030 organized several events and campaign actions to convene all UHC advocates, bringing them together with decision-makers. Ahead of the September UN High-level meetings on health, Member States passed a key resolution on the Preparation for the UN High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.
To kick off the World Health Assembly with concrete action, UHC2030 partners and other UHC advocates joined the Walk the Talk on Sunday, 21 May, in Geneva and virtually, and collectively rallied to reinvigorate progress on universal health coverage. Thank you to everyone who participated and engaged in our actions.
Highlights from the WHA
Speakers at the WHA side event "From commitment to action: How the UN high-level meeting is key to delivering health for all”
On Tuesday, 23 May, Georgia, Germany, Japan, the Slovak Republic, Thailand, UHC2030 and IFRC co-hosted a side-event From commitment to action: how the UN high-level meeting is key to delivering health for all, bringing together Member States and other stakeholders to show how countries championing UHC can lead by example in securing successful outcomes at the UN high-level meetings on UHC, tuberculosis and pandemic preparedness and response. Read the summary here.
On Monday, 22 May, Brazil, Madagascar, Norway, Slovenia, Thailand, WHO, UHC2030 and other partners co-hosted the side-event Institutionalising social participation for UHC, PHC and health security, bringing together Member States and other stakeholders to secure political commitment for the move from principles to action in making participatory governance part of the modus operandi of the health system. Read the summary here.
To stay tuned on next steps in the lead up to the UN high-level meeting in September 2023 and preparation for a WHA resolution in 2024, register here for the webinar Our voices matter: Shaping priorities for social participation in health reform, taking place on 20 June 2023.
UHC2030 also convened partners around two informal sessions to discuss how to promote better alignment of support from development partners with national strategies and plans for UHC and how to ensure UHC is included as a key enabler for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in the Pandemic Accord.
UHC2030 Co-chair Dr. Justin Koonin speaking at the 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting
Alongside UHC2030-hosted events and activities during WHA, UHC2030 Steering Committee Co-chair Dr. Justin Koonin spoke at several events in Geneva, including the 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, Getting Universal Health Coverage in the Commonwealth on track for 2030.
UHC advocates and partners meeting at the UHC2030-CSEM Networking Space during WHA
Throughout the week, UHC2030 and CSEM also co-hosted a Networking Space, providing an opportunity and space for partners to network, learn from each other, and plan activities ahead of the September UN High-level meetings.
The UHC2030 Health Systems Strengthening Related Initiatives also called on governments and partners to reorient health systems towards primary health care, reinvigorate progress on UHC, and ensure that no one is left behind. Read the blog here.
UHC2030 Co-Chair Statement in Reaction to the G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Summit
G7 Heads of State and government met at the Hiroshima Leaders’ Summit on 19–21 May. In reaction to the Declaration, UHC2030 co-chairs Gabriela Cuevas and Justin Koonin welcomed the strong focus on universal health coverage and its mention as a key priority for health financing by Finance Ministers.
Championing UHC at the highest political level is one of eight recommendations the UHC Movement has made in the Action Agenda, which aims to ensure that health for all becomes a reality, for everyone, everywhere. The co-chairs started by applauding the endorsement of the “G7 Global Plan for UHC Action Agenda” in the G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué, which builds on the Action Agenda from the UHC Movement.
"To reinvigorate progress on UHC, an all-of-government approach is needed, and all sectors should meaningfully be included," they stated. They also called on all countries "to demonstrate political leadership, by committing to and implementing ambitious, actionable commitments on UHC." Read the full statement here.
Zero draft, accreditation and additional resources for the UN High-level Meeting on UHC
On 24 May, the President of the General Assembly published the Zero Draft for the Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage. Read the UHC2030 co-chairs' statement in reponse to the declaration.
As Member States begin negotiations, now is the time to call on your governments and all stakeholders to make actionable commitments on universal health coverage. You can use the Action Agenda, advocacy letter templates, and other resources available in multiple languages here.
In case you missed our last newsflash: the deadline to apply for special accreditation for the UN High-level Meeting on UHC is 19 June 2023 at 23:59 [EDT]. To participate in the 2023 UN high-level meeting on UHC, relevant organizations that are not in consultative status with ECOSOC must express interest and apply for special accreditation here.
Refer to our frequently asked questions for guidance on the registration process and other information about the UN high-level meeting on UHC.
To make sure you stay informed about all engagement opportunities, and have all the resources you need to advocate to your country leaders to accelerate progress on universal health coverage, subscribe to UHC2030’s newsletter, and follow and engage on Twitter and LinkedIn.
UHC2030 Secretariat is provided by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
