Primary Health Care: Lessons from countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

4 September 2023 09:30 – 11:00 CET

The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR) and World Health Organization (WHO) Special Programme  on Primary Health Care (SP-PHC), in collaboration with WHO regional and country offices supported close to 50 in-country research teams to conduct case studies examining PHC in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This set of country case studies identify and highlight new insights from the COVID-19 pandemic response around how countries have harnessed a PHC approach for steering their health systems’ responses during crises. This event will provide an opportunity to share key findings from the case studies.

Objectives

  • Discuss lessons from the case studies within the context of WHO’s ongoing support to accelerate national efforts on PHC
  • Highlight how many COVID-19 response activities have been institutionalized and integrated into ongoing national plans and programmes
  • Showcase specific innovations and lessons in maintaining essential health services
  • Discuss the role of PHC in pandemic preparedness and response and progress towards universal health coverage in advance of the UN High- Level Meetings at the UN General Assembly in September 2023

Speakers

  • Dr Tedros Adhanom GhebreyesusDirector-General, WHO
  • Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General - Universal Health Coverage, Life Course Division, WHO
  • Dr Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist, WHO
  • Dr Suraya Dalil, Director, WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care
  • Dr Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
  • Country case study leads, South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific
  • Health systems directors across WHO regions