Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ

BRIEFDecember 7, 2022

Podcast on the state of UHC in Southeast Asia and the Pacific post-pandemic

podcast on state of UHC in EAP post pandemic

Hear a panel of World Bank experts discuss where the state of Universal Health Coverage stands in Southeast Asia and the Pacific in the wake of the pandemic and what Covid-19 has revealed about the interplay between global health security and UHC. They also discussed how the Bank is working together with partners like Australia¡¯s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to strengthen health systems in the region.

Podcast

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the progress countries across East Asia and the Pacific have made to advance universal health coverage (UHC). A recent episode of the Contain This podcast, produced by Australia¡¯s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, looked at the commitments, challenges and progress to UHC in the region.

Jane Pepperall, Senior Health Advisor for Australia¡¯s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spoke with Dr Toomas Palu, adviser on global coordination at the World Bank's Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice; Dr Aparnaa Somanathan, practice manager for Health, Nutrition and Population for the East Asia Pacific region; Dr Wayne Irava, World Bank health specialist based in Solomon Islands; and Chindavanh Vongsaly, World Bank health specialist based in Vientiane, Laos PDR.

The discussion covered the intersection between global health security and UHC, and how the Advance UHC Multi-Donor Trust Fund is helping strengthen health systems and support innovative ways of progressing UHC.