Oct

11

2023

VIRTUAL

9:30—10:30 AM ET / 2:30-3:30 PM BST

CGD TALKS

Towards Universal Health Coverage: How Will the New Health Impact Investment Platform Move the Needle?

PANELISTS

Mary-Ann Etiebet, AVP, Health Equity, Merck & Lead, Merck for Mothers and CGD Board Member
Pablo Ibarrarán, Social Protection and Health Division Chief, Inter-American Development Bank
Corneille Ntihabose, Head of the Clinical and Public Health Services Department, Ministry of Health, Rwanda
Babatunde Omilola, Head of the Public Health, Security, and Human Development Division, African Development Bank Group

MODERATOR

Javier Guzman, Director of the Global Health Policy Program and Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) requires strong primary health care systems—which, in turn, requires adequate financing. The United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on UHC earlier this fall reiterated the importance of primary care and UHC as global priorities. However, funds to expand UHC are increasingly limited in the face of the global economic slowdown.

In June 2023, the World Health Organization, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, and Islamic Development Bank launched the new Health Impact Investment Platform to strengthen primary health care systems in low- and lower--middle income countries. As the platform operationalizes, it must consider how best to invest its initial €1.5 billion to accelerate progress towards UHC, and we must consider the implications for other multilateral development banks that are not a part of the platform and how they may be able to model a similar initiative.

Join the Center for Global Development as it reflects on the role that the new Health Impact Investment Platform can have in strengthening health systems to achieve UHC by 2030.