Distinguished Keizo Takemi, Hon’ble parliamentarians, Dr Takeshi Kasai,
Investing in universal health coverage (UHC) to build health system resilience is the most efficient way to strengthen the COVID-19 response and advance towards a healthier, more health-secure recovery and future for all.
Health systems that provide quality services that are accessible to all promote overall population health and are better prepared to prevent and respond to acute events while maintaining essential services.
And yet the economic impact of COVID-19 has the potential to reduce the budgetary space for health at precisely the moment in which additional investments are required to strengthen the response and build health system resilience to protect against similar events in future.
Each outcome is crucial to securing the sustainable development upon which all policy portfolios depend.
Earlier this month the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, concluded a series of meetings that brought together health ministries and finance ministries with the aim of protecting the budgetary space for health and developing a consensus on not only sustaining, but also scaling up investments in UHC.
Parliamentarians can have great impact in building such a consensus.
First, parliamentarians wield significant influence across sectors, which can be harnessed to promote the buy-in required to secure adequate and sustainable investments in UHC.
Though policy-makers have in recent months witnessed the critical impact a public health event can have on all areas of social and economic life, it is possible that this lesson will be lost in the complex recovery that will follow and amid the competing demands that will arise.
Parliamentarians can help avoid that outcome by ensuring that investments in UHC are considered a good that lifts all boats.
Second, parliamentarians can help facilitate and institutionalize the best practices that have featured in the response.
Flexible budgeting practices, closer collaboration with the private sector and the rapid roll-out of innovative service delivery models such as telemedicine are just a few of the ways that countries have adapted to meet this challenge, for which the support of parliamentarians has been crucial.
Parliamentarians can play a pivotal role in supporting key legislation moving forward, for example on achieving UHC, enhancing emergency preparedness and raising pro-health taxes that will generate additional public revenues.
Countries – and with them parliamentarians – have much to learn from one another.
From the beginning of the response the WHO South-East Asia Region has promoted the whole-of-government, whole-of-society buy-in required to effectively respond to the pandemic.
In so doing, the Region has built on progress towards its Flagship Priorities on achieving UHC and scaling up emergency risk management, which it has pursued since 2014.
At the Region’s recently concluded Regional Committee, Member States adopted the Declaration on the Collective Response to COVID-19, which highlights the need to invest in UHC over coming weeks, months and years to strengthen the response and build health system resilience over the long term.
The Region continues to focus on maintaining essential health services, for which the principles of UHC are central.
I urge parliamentarians across Asia and the Pacific to continue to provide critical input to all areas of the response, especially on the financing of strong health systems for UHC.
I look forward to coming discussions and to maximizing the impact of this valuable forum.
Thank you.