WHAT: Financial Protection in Health in Times of Pandemic (Webinar Series No.1: Public Investment in Health in Times of COVID-19)
WHEN: 20 July, 2021, 10:00 am (EDT)
HOW: Register in ZOOM: https://bit.ly/3dwiUuV
Background
Latin America and the Caribbean has been the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a disproportionate impact in terms of cases and deaths. This occurs because it is a particularly vulnerable region, given its high levels of informality, urbanization, poverty, inequality, and due to the existence of weak health and social protection systems, with large groups of the population in vulnerable conditions. An unprecedented economic crisis has been generated, threatening to roll back the progress of per capita regional income to 10 years ago. One of PAHO’s priorities for 2021 is supporting the development of resilient health systems, both in the control and post-covid-19 stages. Aiming to ensure the sustainability of the systems and the protection of previous achievements in terms of public health at the regional level. It is critical in this context to increase and improve sustainable public investment in health for the recovery phase, with the purpose of strengthening health systems, and contributing to the recovery of economic growth, development and well-being in the Region of the Americas.
Objectives
The objective of this Webinar Series is to reflect on the role of health financing in the set of measures promoted by countries, in particular, those that affect the health sector, to inform the dialogue and advocacy for the strengthening of health systems. The first webinar of the series is devoted to financial protection, which is a key component of Universal Health and the SGD, defined as people having access to the health services they require and being protected from potential financial hardship that may result from the use of services. The webinar considers a global and regional perspective on financial protection, as well as a revision of the global and regional situation during the pandemic context.
Participants
This series of events is aimed at technical officials and authorities of government institutions of health and the financial sector of the Member States; to decision makers in general, and technical and professional officials related to health financing in the countries and international collaboration agencies; to the academic community, and PAHO Collaborating Centers in the Region of the Americas.
Agenda
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Moderator: Amalia Del Riego, Unit Chief Health Services and Access, Health Systems and Services Department, PAHO/WHO
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Opening session - Jarbas Barbosa, Assistant Director, PAHO/WHO
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Financial protection: a global perspective – Gabriela Flores, Senior Health Economist, Department of Health Systems Governance and Financing, WHO
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Financial protection in Latin America and the Caribbean – Camilo Cid, Advisor in Health Economics and Financing, PAHO/WHO
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Financial protection in times of COVID-19 – Ajay Tandon, Lead Economist, World Bank
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Health financing and financial protection in Uruguay – Luis González Machado, General Director, National Health Board, Ministry of Public Health, Uruguay
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Closing session – James Fitzgerald, Director Health Systems and Services, PAHO/WHO