Health Congress calls for sustainability of universal access
Participants at the First Pan African Health Congress on Universal Health Coverage have called for the sustainance of the momentum generated by African experts and their collaborators to find practical solution to the continent’s problems to achieve universal access.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the congress, on the theme; “Creating a Movement for Universal Health in Africa through Health Insurance,” participants called for the retaining of the congress as a platform for stakeholders involved in the health financing and health Insurance for universal coverage.
The congress initiated dialogue between government ministers, insurance schemes in Africa and also discussed best ways to initiate and sustain long term health insurance schemes across Africa.
It noted that there was the need to coordinate and leverage cross-learning and joint implementation activities and make inputs into the Africa agenda for attaining the goal of universal coverage in countries.
It attracted over 200 delegates including ministers, academics, health and insurance experts from over 25 African countries and institutions.
The communiqué indicated that regional and international bodies should bring their technical support and mobilise resources to strengthen health systems and sustain an interface between this movement and meetings of heads of states and ministers to leverage political support for proven initiatives that accelerated progress in Africa.
It further encouraged a positive engagement with international partners to scale up these initiatives as well as facilitate the publication and dissemination of African and International scientific knowledge including its translation and reproduction.
The communiqué concluded by identifying opportunities for collaborating research and knowledge production that will bring systematic evidence to support the effective implementation of different sustainable social health financing mechanism being up scaled as a positive intervention in Africa.
The next congress, scheduled for 2013 to review progress, share insights and experiences and set a new agenda for accelerating universal coverage based on the evidence, will be hosted by Uganda.
Source: GNA