After a number of years of on-line conferences as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, final week, members of the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH) met in particular person for the primary time since 2019 to debate and advance key areas of well being priorities forward of the thirty fifth Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) subsequent month.

CACH is a choose committee made up of senior officers, regional our bodies, and civil society representatives from throughout the Commonwealth. CACH offers recommendation and steerage to Commonwealth Health Ministers and the Commonwealth Secretariat on issues of public well being concern together with rising tendencies and threats to the Commonwealth, in addition to guiding on the strategic path of the Commonwealth Health Programme. Currently, the nations represented on the CACH are Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Dominica, Malawi, Mauritius, Samoa, and Solomon Islands. The Governments of Jamaica and Kenya additionally sit on the CACH as outgoing and incoming CHMM Chairs.

Chaired by the Government of Canada, the 17 representatives progressed efforts to strengthen the governance of CACH and its help to Commonwealth nations, in addition to deliberated on the theme, key agenda gadgets and ministerial assertion of the upcoming thirty fifth CHMM, which will likely be held in Geneva, Switzerland on 20 May, beneath the theme: “Getting Universal Health Coverage in the Commonwealth on track for 2030”. This included steerage on the position of main well being care, digital well being, psychological well being and pandemic preparedness in reaching Universal Health Coverage.

Representing the Commonwealth Secretariat on the assembly was Joshua Setipa, Senior Director, Strategy, Portfolio, Partnerships and Digital (SPPD) Directorate. He mentioned:

“Our Secretary-General often says that the Commonwealth is a ‘petri dish’, that offers opportunities for innovations in policies, new mechanisms, and methods for strengthening health systems. Whilst every country has its own priorities, its own challenges, and its own processes, our Commonwealth platform provides an opportunity for us to work together on improving health and healthcare for all. And CACH is a key forum for us to do this.”

Josée Roy, CACH Chair, and Director of Multilateral Relations, the Office of International Affairs for the Health Portfolio, Government of Canada, mentioned:

“The Government of Canada has been pleased to serve as the CACH Chair for 2022-23, and in supporting to strengthen its role and impact. We thank all CACH members for their valuable contributions and deliberations during this meeting, and their continued commitment to improve health outcomes for our Commonwealth family.”

The assembly was held at Marlborough House, London – the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat – from 18 to twenty April. It marks the primary time CACH members have met in particular person since earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Representing the Government of Kenya, who will likely be chairing CHMM, Dr Peace Mutuma, Health Attaché, Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations, mentioned:

“Kenya is pleased to participate in the CACH meetings this year in our capacity as the Chair of the upcoming 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting. The CACH meeting has been instrumental in finalising preparations for CHMM, and we thank CACH Members and the Commonwealth Secretariat for their invaluable advisory support to sharpen the focus of the key thematic areas to be discussed by Health Ministers. Kenya therefore looks forward to the CHMM where all Commonwealth countries will come together to identify a path forward in realising universal health coverage goals by 2030.”

The Government of Canada completes its time period as CACH Chair in June 2023, following which Brunei Darussalam will take over as Chair for the 2023-2024 interval.

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• Amy Coles  Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
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