ReBUILD’s Kyu Kyu Than took part in this satellite session which provided a platform for sharing resources and best practice to enhance sexual and reproductive health access within UHC frameworks. Bringing together policymakers, researchers, advocates and activists the session will explore challenges, progress and priorities.
Featuring – Moderators Nandita Thatte & Veloshnee Govender, WHO; Kalipso Chalkidou, WHO Health Financing & Economics; Rosemary Mburu, WACI Health; Goran Zangana, NHS Lothian, HSG Board Member; Jesper Sundewall, UNFPA; Beverly Johnston, USAID; Lale Say, WHO SRH; Kyu Kyu Than, Burnet Institute; Eelco Jacobs, KIT Netherlands; Heloise Widdig, KIT Netherlands, and Ravi Ram, WHO Civil Society Commission.
This satellite session addressed health system governance challenges in conflict zones, focusing on areas in Syria and Myanmar, where traditional governments have collapsed. The session highlights the need to build effective, legitimate institutions in the absence of state structures, using approaches like SyriaDev’s Hand-Holding method. By fostering leadership, harmonisation, and system-wide collaboration, emerging actors can strengthen governance frameworks. Comparative analysis with other conflict-affected settings, such as Myanmar, Libya and Somalia, will help participants explore cross-contextual lessons, practical strategies, and sustainable solutions for health system strengthening in fragile environments.
The session was organized by Syria Dev [opens new tab]. The panelists included Dr. Abdelkarim Eqzayez from Kings College, Dr. Safwan Al Chalati from the Syrian Board of Medical Specialties, Dr. Mansour Al Atrash from the Health Information System Unit, Dr. Rima Ismail from Un Ponte Per UPP, Dr. Cynthia Maung from the Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, Tee Tar from the Burma Medical Association, and Prof. Egbert Sondrop from the KIT Royal Tropical Institute, along with Dr. Ali Ardalan from WHO EMRO.
NB The session immediately after this one is on a related topic – Principles and practices of health systems strengthening in fragile settings: conceptual reflections and operational perspectives. Details here.
This session, which featured ReBUILD’s Sophie Witter, explored how governments can enhance the contribution of private healthcare actors to UHC and health security while curtailing potential risks. The state of the evidence base will be presented, drawing on a comprehensive scoping review of approaches to the governance of the private sector. This review has been used to develop a Progression Pathway for the Governance of Mixed Health Systems, which provides countries with clear guidance on managing private sector contributions effectively. Through an interactive workshop, participants applied the Progression Pathway to country scenarios, contributing to the tool’s evolution and shaping the future research agenda in this critical area.
Presenters were: David Clarke, World Health Organization; Prof Catherine Goodman, LSHTM; Prof Mark Hellowell, University of Edinburgh; Prof Sophie Witter, Queen Margaret University, UK & ReBUILD consortium; Louise Allen, Oxford Policy Management; Anna Cocozza, World Health Organization; Temitayo Erogbogbo, MSD for Mothers; Prof Mishal Khan, LSHTM and Maia Uchaneishvili, Curatio International Foundation
Read a blog post on this session here.
This organised session from the Thematic Working Group on Health Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (TWG FCAS) aimed to stimulate an open and inclusive reflection on the policies and practices of integration of refugees and displaced populations into national health systems. Different regional and actor perspectives were shown in a short video prepared by the TWG FCAS (watch that film here [opens new tab]), and then discussed by a panel of researchers and practitioners, in conversation with the audience.
With the number of displaced people growing and displacement becoming increasingly prolonged, there is a global call for policies and best practices to allow for the inclusion of displaced populations into national and local health systems, in order to address their health needs and ensure equitable access to quality health services. This session reflected on the policies and practices of health system integration, from different regional (Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe) and actor perspectives (ie that of international, governmental, non-governmental and community organisations). The focus was on three core questions:
The session was chaired by Barbara Profeta (TWG FCAS and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). The panellists were: Maria Bertone (TWG FCAS, ReBUILD and Queen Margaret University), Egbert Sondorp (TWG FCAS and KIT, Netherlands), Shatha Elnakib (Johns Hopkins University, USA), Ali Ardalan (WHO EMRO), Yuta Momose (International Labour Organization), Fouad M Fouad (ReBUILD, AUB, Lebanon/LSTM, UK), Irene Torres (Fundacion Octaedro, Ecuador), Cynthia Maung (MaeTao Clinic, Thailand) and Ibrahim Bou-Orm (ReBUILD, LSTM, UK & USJ, Lebanon).
Integration and resilience of health system responses for refugees: reflections from the experience of Mauritania – Maria Bertone, Queen Margaret University, UK.
“Art recoils from rules” – reflections on the ethical quandries of audio-visual work in the communication of health systems research – Kate Hawkins, Pamoja Communications, UK.