PMAC 2012

Moving towards Universal Health Coverage:
Health Financing Matters

24-28 January 2012
Centara Grand at Central World, Bangkok, Thailand


 

RATIONALE

 

Health financing is one of the six building blocks of the WHO health systems framework, i.e., service delivery; health workforce; information system; medical products & technologies; financing; and leadership & governance. The Framework provides clear functions and poses major challenges of each building block, in particular healthcare financing faced by the developing countries. It is clear that health system strengthening requires integrated responses of all six building blocks.

It is well recognized that functional health system requires equitable, efficient and sustainable health financing which ensures access and utilization of essential health services without financial barrier and people are protected from financial catastrophe or impoverishment due to illnesses. This is the goal of health financing system aiming at universal health coverage (UHC).

The World Health Assembly resolution, WHA 58.33 in 2005 on “sustainable health financing, universal coverage and social health insurance” urges member states to ensure that the health financing systems include prepayment method with a view of risk sharing and solidarity. WHO and partners convened the first global symposium on health system research with the theme of “science to accelerate universal health coverage” in Montreux in November 2010. About 1,200 registered participants who are researchers, policymakers, funders, academia and other stakeholders representing diverse constituencies gathered to share evidences and experiences and identify knowledge gaps and need of research in low and middle income countries to foster the momentum of universal coverage movement. The latest World Health Report in 2010 on “health system financing: the path to universal coverage” was launched in Berlin, Germany in 22-23 November 2010 and subsequently in Beijing, China on 29 November 2010. The report reaffirms all countries can improve the health financing system and strongly persuades faster moving towards universal health coverage goals.

There are also other concerted movements to improve the health financing systems and to move towards universal health coverage. The 2009 G8 summit in Tokyo committed on health system strengthening which focused on three interrelated components: health information systems, human resources for health and health care financing. There are also movements at global, regional and country levels to support technical collaboration e.g., the High Level Task Force on UHC, the Joint Learning Network supported by Rockefeller Foundation as well as South-South collaboration.

Given the rich context on UHC, time has come to share the country experiences and challenges on financing reforms and to push this momentum forward in order to effectively translate good policy intention into concrete actions in accelerating towards UHC.

The Prince Mahidol Award Conference is an annual international conference hosted by the Royal Thai Government, the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, and other relevant International Organizations, Foundations and Civil Society Organizations. The Conference serves as an international forum for sharing evidences for health related policies and strengthens social commitments for health development. This conference is linked to the annual Prince Mahidol Award for public health and medicines, one of the most prestigious international health awards. The 2012 Prince Mahidol Award Conference is dedicated to deliberation on experiences on health financing reform, support global dialogue and foster movements towards universal health coverage.

Resilient and responsive health system is foundation and pre-requisites to successful UHC achievement; it requires functioning healthcare delivery system particularly at PHC level where the majority poor can access and use service when needed, adequate number and skill-mix of health workforce who are responsive to the population health needs, adequate, equitable and efficient health financing, health information systems which guide evidence based policy decision, availability of medicines and medical products and governance of the system. This Conference focuses on the contribution of health financing in advancing towards UHC; however other enabling environment would be addressed.

OBJECTIVES

  • To position the universal health coverage in the global and national development agendas.

  • To identify enabling factors contributing to success of health financing reforms e.g. political, economic, societal support, health services infrastructure especially primary health care, human resources for health, acceptability and expectation of people.

  • To review and share experiences among low, middle and high-income countries at different stages of achieving universal health coverage, on different dimensions of universal coverage such as financing sources, risk pooling, strategic purchasing, governance and outcome of different designs of universal coverage

PMAC 2012 International Organizing Committee

Name - Surname

Position

Organization

Role

Dr. Vicharn Panich

Chairman

Mahidol University Council

Chair

Dr. Carissa F. Etienne

Assistant Director-General

World Health Organization

Co-chair

Dr. Cristian Baeza

Director, Health, Nutrition & Population,
Human Development Network

The World Bank

Co-chair

Mr. Kiyoshi Kodera

Vice President

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Co-chair

Dr. Lincoln Chen

President

China Medical Board

Member

Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez

Managing Director

The Rockefeller Foundation

Member

Dr. David de Ferranti

President

Results for Development Institute

Member

Dr. Keizo Takemi

Research Fellow

Japan Center for International Exchange

Member

Dr. Xenia Scheil-Adlung

Health Policy Coordinator

The International Labor Organization

Member

Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage

Director of Health Systems Development

WHO/SEARO

Member

Dr. Matthias Rompel

Head of Section, Social Protection

GIZ

Member

Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou

Director

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Member

Ms. Bridget Lloyd

Coordinator

People’s Health Movement

Member

Dr. Paijit Warachit

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

Member

Mr. Theerakun Niyom

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

Member

Dr. Supat Vanichakarn

Secretary-General

Prince Mahidol Award Foundation

Member

Dr. Winai Sawasdivorn

Secretary-General

National Health Security Office

Member

Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn

President

Mahidol University

Member

Dr. Teerawat Kulthanan

Dean, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital

Mahidol University

Member

Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert

Senior Advisor on Disease Control

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

Member

Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien

Senior Public Health Expert (Health Economics)

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

Member

Dr. Pongpisut Jongudomsuk

Director

Health Systems Research Institute

Member

Dr. Sopida Chavanichkul

Director, International Health Bureau

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand

Member

Dr. David Evans

Director, Health Systems Financing

World Health Organization

Member & Secretary

Dr. Churnrurtai Kanchanachitra

Vice President for Collaboration and Networking

Mahidol University

Member & Secretary

Dr. Toomas Palu

Lead Health Specialist

The World Bank, Vietnam

Member & Secretary

Dr. Achra Sumboonnanonda

Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital

 Mahidol University

Member & Secretary

Mr. Yojiro Ishii

Deputy Director General, Human Development Department

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Member & Secretary

PMAC 2012