Lives in the Balance Summit Series: Delivering on Commitments to Improve Health Equity through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

20 May 2022 14:30 – 16:30 CET
Virtual

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Introducing the 'Lives in the Balance Summit Series: Delivering on Commitments to Improve Health Equity through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration.'

In response to issues discussed during 'Lives in the Balance: Delivering Commitments in Humanitarian and Fragile Settings' held the previous day, this virtual event will bring together multilateral, academic, health-care professionals, government and private sector leaders. Discussions will share important lessons, tools, and resources in order to sharpen the lens on women, children and adolescents and help deliver commitments to equitably protect their health and well-being, including during crises. The following strategies will be highlighted:

  • Defining and maximizing the full capacity of health systems to ensure broader access to care;
  • Leveraging and integrating private sector engagement as a critical way to achieving Universal Health Coverage, including in humanitarian and fragile settings;
  • Understanding the role of quality as an enabler for governments to leverage private sector capacity.

Multi-stakeholder collaboration, including during crises, is key to achieving an inclusive and equitable delivery of services at the local, national and global levels. Many countries have mixed health systems where both public and private providers deliver health services; however, the private sector often lacks standards for quality care and national accreditation to assure quality care. Government engagement of the private healthcare sector is not only critical for ensuring high-quality care no matter where women seek it, but also helps to augment health systems’ capacity to deliver care and reach a wider population in a cost-effective and equitable manner so that every woman can have a healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth.

There is no time to lose.

Agenda

Welcome & Setting the Scene  (14:30 CET)David Clarke, Acting Unit Head, Health System’s Governance and Policy, WHO
Defining mixed health systems and highlighting the importance of integration of private sector into the health system to achieve UHC, including during humanitarian and fragile settings and responding to issues discussed during Lives in the Balance: Delivering Commitments in Humanitarian and Fragile Settings 

Opening Talks  (14:36 CET)Caroline Quijada, Executive Committee Representative and Chair of the Private Sector Constituency, PMNCH; & Deputy Director of Abt’s Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus)

  • Highlight critical elements of commitments governments have made in response to PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19
  • Challenges in meeting these commitments, exacerbated by COVID-19 and the increasing number of humanitarian and fragile settings across the globe
  • Identifying the role that the private sector can play in helping countries meet country commitments in response to PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19 

Case Study on India – Manyata Program (14:43 CET)Moderator

  • Mary-Ann Etiebet, Lead of MSD for Mothers and AVP for health equity, MSD
    • Panelist introduction and brief introduction about Manyata

Facilitated Discussion

  • Megan Marx Delaney, Research Scientist, BetterBirth Program, Ariadne Labs
    • Overview of Manyata key research objectives and questions
    • High-level findings, implications and next steps for improving QI and sustaining quality care across health systems more broadly
  • Dr. Jaideep Malhotra, Former President of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India, Gynecologist, IVF Specialist & Founder, Rainbow Hospital, Agra
    • Sharing the current and future role of the private sector in the broader health system context and improving maternity care, more specifically
    • Highlighting importance of implementing and sustaining private sector-based QI programs to augment public maternity care capacity(ies)
  • Angela Nguku, Global Deputy Chief Executive Officer at White Ribbon Alliance
    • Speak to value of Manyata as a cross-sectoral collaboration and quality standards and what this research means for improving quality care across the health system
    • Highlight what other countries can learn from Manyata 

Lived Experiences from the youth (15:06 CET)

Audience Q&A | Comments from Panelists (15:14 CET) 

Moderator

  • Mary-Ann Etiebet, Lead of MSD for Mothers and AVP for health equity, MSD  

Speakers

  • David Clarke, Acting Unit Head, Health System’s Governance and Policy
  • Caroline Quijada, Deputy Director of Abt’s Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus)
  • Megan Marx Delaney, Research Scientist, BetterBirth Program, Ariadne Labs
  • Dr. Jaideep Malhotra, President at SAFOMS (South Asian Federation of Menopause Societies) & Former President of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India
  • Angela Nguku, Global Deputy Chief Executive Officer at White Ribbon Alliance

Closing remarks | Round Robin (15:31 CET) - what, from your perspective, is most essential for local leaders to keep in mind when leveraging the private sector to achieve UHC, including in humanitarian and fragile settings? 

Speakers

  • David Clarke, Acting Unit Head, Health System’s Governance and Policy
  • Caroline Quijada, Deputy Director of Abt’s Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus)
  • Megan Marx Delaney, Research Scientist, BetterBirth Program, Ariadne Labs
  • Dr. Jaideep Malhotra, President at SAFOMS (South Asian Federation of Menopause Societies) & Former President of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India
  • Angela Nguku, Global Deputy Chief Executive Officer at White Ribbon Alliance

Call to action and closing remarks (15:36 CET)

  • Mary-Ann Etiebet, Lead of MSD for Mothers and AVP for health equity, MSDShare a call-to-action to lead actors in leveraging the private sector in global, regional and local contexts to achieve UHC