The Challenge
Around the world, 100 million people are being pushed into extreme poverty every year due to unaffordable health expenses. Africa is at a critical moment in the pursuit of universal health coverage (UHC). Most countries recognize the importance of “health for all,” a key target of the Sustainable Development Goals; however, too many people across the continent still lack access to essential health services. In partnership with Amref Health Africa, one of the largest NGOs in Africa, GHS provided strategic and planning support to the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (Africa Health 2019) to elevate the discourse on UHC in Africa and emphasize the need for all stakeholders to ramp up efforts to achieve UHC targets by 2030.
The Approach
GHS successfully engaged with diverse partners – from political leaders and private sector companies to donor agencies, civil society and media – to support and sponsor the conference, making Africa Health 2019 possible. Working closely with Amref Health Africa, GHS helped create a compelling program that left participants energized and motivated to advance UHC in Africa. GHS also engaged with media and provided communications support to position the conference as the go-to health meeting in Africa.
The Impact
With over 1,800 participants from 50 different countries, Africa Health 2019 was the largest convening of its kind in Africa, bringing together leaders and stakeholders from across the continent and around the world to discuss opportunities and home-grown solutions to advance “health for all” in their countries. Over 50 onsite reporters and dozens of international and regional media covered the conference in Kigali, Rwanda, focusing on the importance of advancing UHC in Africa, as well as the challenges that must be addressed to realize this vision. This milestone meeting provided a unique opportunity for multi-stakeholder engagement to provide inputs towards the Key Asks which will be presented at the UHC High-Level Meeting in September 2019, and ensure that African perspectives are reflected in the global UHC movement.
