Emergency care: An essential component of UHC

Session title Emergency care:
An essential component of universal health coverage
Coordinator Kalanzi Joseph
Hosts Ministry of Health-Uganda
WHO
Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Seed Global Health
Session objectives
  1. Raise awareness of resolution 72.16 Emergency care systems for universal health coverage: ensuring timely care for the acutely ill and injured by discussing its background and current implementations of actions defined in the resolution
  2. Identify shared challenges and priority needs across countries to ensure access to timely care for the acutely ill and injured
  3. Identify effective mechanisms and partners to advocate for emergency care as an essential component of universal health coverage
  4. Identify strategies have proven effective for strengthening emergency care systems

Discuss potential contributions from international partners and agencies in this arena
Session abstract Emergency care is an integrated platform to deliver time-sensitive health care services for acute illness and injury across the life course. The emergency care system that delivers these services extends from care at the scene through transport and emergency unit care, and it ensures access to early operative and critical care when needed.  Emergency care responds to a range of acute conditions in children and adults, including injuries, infections, acute exacerbations of noncommunicable diseases, mental health conditions and complications of pregnancy. It is the first point of contact with the health system for many people, providing timely recognition of time-sensitive conditions, resuscitation and referral for severely ill patients, and the delivery of definitive care for many others.

More than half of deaths in low- and middle-income countries are from conditions that could be treated by emergency care. However, because it is neither disease- nor population-specific, emergency care is frequently a blind spot, neglected in international policy and funding initiatives. All Member States, regardless of available resources, can take steps towards strengthening their emergency care systems.

In May 2019, the 72nd World Health Assembly unanimously passed resolution 72.16 Emergency care systems for universal health coverage: ensuring timely care for the acutely ill and injured, which calls for global efforts to strengthen the provision of emergency care as part of universal health coverage and urges all Member States to undertake specific actions to do so.  Strategies to implement these efforts will be discussed by the panel.
Session Format Panel Discussion 11 Workshop Plenary
Chairs Chair: Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Uganda
Co-Chair: Dr. Teri Reynolds, WHO
Speakers Title Contact Status
Speaker 1 (Policy/Government) Dr. John Baptiste Waniaye,
Commissioner EMS-MOH
Speaker 2 (Academia) Prof Lee Wallis

African Federation of Emergency Medicine
Speaker 3 (Civil Society) Dr. Bonaventure Ahaisibwe Director

Seed Global Health Uganda
Speaker 4 (Private sector) Tore Laerdal
Speaker 5 (Optional) Dr. Annet Alenyo

Emergency Medicine Uganda
Speaker 6 (Optional)

Event Timeslots (1)

ROOM 6 SHEEMA
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WS 11