Join us for the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany:

Monday, October 14, 2024 | 4:00 PM CEST / 02:00 PM UTC / 10:00 AM ET

Addressing Financial Hardship to Advance Gender Equality and UHC

Watch the live stream 

Gender is a critical determinant of health, and addressing gender inequalities is essential to improving health outcomes and access to services. Globally, gender bias in healthcare often results in women’s health being underfunded, under-researched, and poorly understood. As a result, women and girls face higher risks of infections, diseases, and preventable deaths, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth. This results in women often suffering from conditions that could have been prevented or treated if their health concerns were adequately prioritized. Gender inequalities also limit access to health services, particularly for women and girls, who are often more vulnerable to inequities arising from the unequal distribution of power, money, and resources in societies.

The financial barriers to healthcare further exacerbate gender-based disparities. Socioeconomic factors, including poverty, lack of education, and limited employment opportunities, disproportionately affect women’s access to essential medicines and services. These barriers not only worsen health outcomes for women but also contribute to broader cycles of inequality that hinder economic and social development. Evidence increasingly shows that addressing these barriers through gender-responsive health financing policies is crucial. Financial protection measures that consider the specific needs of women and other genders are essential to achieving equitable access to healthcare and improving overall health outcomes.

This session will delve into the intersection of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and gender equality, exploring how the two are inextricably linked. During this session, panelists will discuss the importance of integrating gender considerations into health system design and financing policies. They will share insights on how gender-responsive financial protection measures can address key challenges and highlight practical strategies and policy recommendations for ensuring that efforts towards achieving UHC contribute to gender equality, ultimately leading to healthier, more inclusive societies where health services are accessible and equitable for all.

Hosts:

  • Global Financing Facility (GFF)
  • UHC2030

Chair:

  • Dr. Magda Robalo, Co-Chair, UHC2030 Steering Committee

Speakers:

Dr. Adepeju Adeniran, Founder and National Co-Chair, Women in Global Health (WGH) Nigeria, Nigeria

Taimur Khan Jhagra, Senior Expert, Acasus, Switzerland | Former Health Minister and Finance Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Gisela Scaglia,Vice Governor of the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina | Chapter Chair Latin America & the Caribbean, UNITE

Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin, Executive Director, Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program, United States of America | Former Minister of Health, Ethiopia

Luc Laviolette, Head of Secretariat, Global Financing Facility, United States of America

Tjedu Moyo, Executive Director, Lunia Centre for Youths, Zimbabwe | Youth Representative to the Global Financing Facility Investors Group

 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024 | 9:00 AM CEST / 7:00 AM UTC / 3:00 AM ET

Climate and Health Financing: Pathways to Resilience

Watch the live stream

Climate and health are tightly linked: simply put, to secure a livable planet, health must increasingly be at the center of climate action and climate at the core of all health investments. One year after COP28 and the launch of landmark initiatives on climate and health, important progress has been made, including collaboration among stakeholders to implement strategic programs and partnerships to accelerate climate and health actions.

This session provides an opportunity to take stock of actions to-date and identify remaining needs and opportunities to address the escalating risks. First, panelists will discuss progress made looking at results and impact of commitments made to help assess countries’ climate and health vulnerabilities and priorities.

The session will also aim to identify investment gaps and opportunities for climate-resilient health systems, and how to overcome silos and work collectively to mobilize additional financing and attention to reduce the impacts of climate change on people’s health and livelihoods. Lastly, the event will explore untapped opportunities for the private sector, ways it can better harness its innovation potential to actively participate in the collective endeavor to tackle the climate crisis and safeguard public health.

Co-Sponsors:

Chair:

  • Vanina Laurent-Ledru, Director General, Foundation S – The Sanofi Collective, France

Speakers:

Claire Bonnel, Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships, Siemens Healthineers AG, Access to Care, Germany

Dr. Ethel Leonor Noia Maciel, Ministry of Health, Secretary of Health Surveillance and Environment, Brazil

Dirk Meyer, Director General, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Directorate-General for Multilateral Development Policy; Transformation; Climate, Germany

Tjedu Moyo, Executive Director, Lunia Centre for Youths, Zimbabwe | Youth Representative to the Global Financing Facility Investors Group

Prof. Dr. Revati Phalkey, Global Director Health and Nutrition, Save the Children International, United Kingdom

Dr. Monique Vledder, Practice Manager, Global Health, Nutrition and Population, The World Bank, United States of America

For more information, visit the World Health Summit website:

Learn More about WHS2024