On 9 April 2019 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand together with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and the National Health Commission Office (NHCO) organised the Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Preparation for the High-level Meeting on UHC at Arnoma Grand Hotel Bangkok, and also celebrated World Health Day on 7 April 2019. The meeting was attended by around 300 participants comprising government officials, members of civil society organisations, academia, local administration officials, experts and youths.

 

Mr. Pichit Boonsud, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered opening remarks emphasising the importance of multi-sectoral actions in advancing UHC, as well as the role of MFA, MoPH and NHSO in highlighting the importance of UHC in the international arena, especially during Thailand’s chairmanship of a group of countries called the Foreign Policy and Global Health (FPGH) initiative. The FPGH played a leading role that led to the adoption of two resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly, one marking 12 December as International UHC Day and the other scheduling the High-level Meeting on UHC in 2019. Mr. Pichit also urged participants to be actively engaged and maximise the opportunity by providing constructive inputs to be used as Thailand’s proposal for the upcoming High-Level Meeting on UHC.

 

Dr. Sakchai Kanchanawattana, Secretary-General, NHSO delivered a keynote speech addressing the history of UHC and essential factors in moving forward UHC in Thailand. Dr. Renu Madanlal Garg, Acting World Health Organization Representative (WHO) to Thailand, representatives of people with disabilities, and youth representatives gave speeches in celebration of the World Health Day and the importance of UHC.

 

In the afternoon, there were three separate public hearing groups. The themes of each group were in line with the three themes of the Interactive Multi-stakeholder Hearing which the United Nations will organise on 29 April 2019 in New York in preparation for the High-Level Meeting on UHC, which are (1) UHC as a driver for inclusive development and prosperity, (2) Leave no one behind – UHC as a commitment to equity, and (3) Multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder Action and investment for UHC. When the public hearing sessions ended, representatives of each group presented the outcomes to the meeting which will be used at the aforementioned Interactive Multi-stakeholder Hearing and to prepare for the High-level Meeting on UHC to be held on 23 September 2019 during the week of the high-level General Debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.