She lives in a summit meeting: Improving the health of women, children and adolescents through UHC

December 11, 2020 –
On the eve of Universal Health Coverage Day, more than 1,600 viewers from more than 100 countries signed up took part in a three-hour live broadcast co-hosted by PMNCH, CORE Group and UHC2030. The summit focused on the implications of COVID-19 for universal health insurance (UHC) and advances in the health of women, children and adolescents.

This summit, built on a very successful Lives in Balance: Summit COVID-19, in July 2020, where partners came together to call on global leaders to commit to a seven-point PMNCH action plan to improve and increase investment in health and social care systems for women, children and adolescents as the world renews after the world crisis. pandemic.

Six months after the launch of the call to action, during the live event, a group of countries (including Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria; as well as donor countries Canada, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the US, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation); responded to the PMNCH call by announcing domestic policy and finance obligations in the amount of $ 20.6 billion to improve the health of women, children and adolescents as part of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These multi-sector country commitments will contribute to the implementation of the Call to Action, helping women, adolescents and children to have access to health services and priority social protection during the crisis and recovery period from COVID-19.

Organized to mark Universal Health Coverage Day on Health for All: Protect All, the event also served as a backdrop to present key findings from the recent UHC2030 report State of commitment to universal health insurance; synthesis 2020. The report shows current global progress a year after a groundbreaking UN high-level meeting that reaffirmed the commitment of world governments to achieving the UHC and ensuring a healthy life and well-being until 2030.

Similar to the first Summit, the December event boasted a host of high-level speakers, lectures, live performances and a leadership dialogue moderated by PMNCH Committee Chair Helen Clark with guests including Gro Harlem Brundtland, co-chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Committee; Graça Machel, founder and president of the Graça Machel Foundation; Loyce Pace, President and CEO of the Global Health Council and Minister Adrien Taquet of France. A complete list of speakers can be found here.

Over the course of three hours, the event covered topics such as the importance of strong political will and leadership to ensure global health security; seize the opportunities provided by innovative digital health technologies to improve health during response and recovery efforts; and the power of partnership, cooperation and solidarity to ensure that no one is left behind.

Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, joined the hosts in the final session of the event by calling for global solidarity and continued vigilance to the ripple effects of COVID-19 even as the world begins to emerge from a pandemic. Then, in an honest exchange with Summit moderator Mercy Juma of the BBC Africa, Danielle Mullings Young Expert: Tech for Health, she pointed to the potential of digital tools in helping young people during a pandemic and called on leaders to prioritize and involve young people in responding to COVID-19.

Finally, the event is co-hosted by Helge Fogstad, Executive Director of PMNCH; Agnès Soucat, Director, WHO Health Systems Management and Finance Department and Lisa Hilmi, Executive Director, CORE Group; teamed up to emphasize the importance of partnership and continued commitment and momentum to ensure universal health insurance for women, children and adolescents.

Lives on the balance sheet will return in May 2021, and details will come soon.

The recorded event is available at summit website, which also includes further resources for information and advocacy.