Economic development contributes to better health and may lead to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, the reverse argument is as crucial: The introduction of UHC can lead to quicker and more stable economic growth and can further boost the supply and demand for health and health-related services and good. The new health economy emerges in an environment where international flows of people, goods, and capital have changed economies and industries. Supply chains of global corporations span across all continents and their marketing reaches deep into many layers of society.
Therefore, this event focuses on the health-economy nexus, the innovative power of the private sector’s involvement in UHC, and the sometimes controversial dimensions of the role the private sector can play in helping countries to achieve UHC. It will address, among others, the following questions:
How can policy makers think about the dynamism, the opportunities, and the risks of this new health economy - for both men and women?
What role does the new health economy- and the wide-range of private sector actors - play in achieving UHC and how far private companies can hinder the achievement of this goal?
How can attention to the health economy drive innovation and improve equity in the supply of health services to all?
What range of capabilities and growth opportunities private companies are bringing to the challenges of expanding delivery of essential health services to all?