Back to Health: Making Up for Lost Time

The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare systemic inequities that will have to be addressed if we are ever going to build more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive societies. It has shown us that inadequate public-health capacity in one place can become a problem for people everywhere. And it has reminded us that the poorest and most vulnerable always bear the brunt of our collective failures. In getting back to health, it is critical that these communities be at the heart of our recovery efforts. Society-level crises are occasions for starting anew, rethinking old assumptions, and leveraging human ingenuity and creativity. Tragically, the pandemic has set back the sustainable development agenda in countless ways. Yet by shining a spotlight on issues that can no longer be ignored, and by restoring science to its proper place at the center of our decision-making processes, the crisis can – indeed, must – serve as a wake-up call. At our upcoming event on global health and development, leading experts will examine the immediate legacy of the pandemic and explore solutions for bringing all communities and societies back to health. Moderator: Jo Coburn Session One – Preventing the Next Pandemic Far from being a “black swan” event, the COVID-19 pandemic was not only foreseeable but actually foreseen by public-health experts. What will it take to ensure that this tragic episode is never repeated?

• 1:00PM – Opening Remarks: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
• 1:05PM – Panel Discussion and Q&A with International Media: Agnes Binagwaho, Former Minister of Health of Rwanda, Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee
• 1:55PM – Closing Remarks: Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance
• 2:00PM – Closing Remarks: Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Director-General of the World Health Organization, Member of The Elders
• 2:05PM – Break

Session Two – The Economics of Universal Health Coverage Although the idea of universal health coverage is simple, achieving it will be neither easy nor straightforward. How and to what extent should this principle be factored into the broader economic development strategy for low- and middle-income countries after the pandemic?

• 2:20PM – Opening Remarks: Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank
• 2:25PM – Panel Discussion and Q&A with International Media: Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS Angus Deaton, Nobel laureate in economics Carl Manlan, COO of the Ecobank Foundation
• 3:15PM – Closing Remarks: Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia, Chair of Wellcome