Media advisory: Global conference on primary health care
World Leaders to declare historic commitment to primary health care and health for all in Astana between 25-26 October 2018
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ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, 1 October 2018 – The World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Government of Kazakhstan will co-host the Global Conference on Primary Health Care on 25-26 October at the Palace of Independence in Astana, Kazakhstan. The conference will mark the 40th anniversary of the historic 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration on primary health care, and will unite world leaders to affirm that strong primary health care is essential to achieve universal health coverage.
WHAT: The Global Conference on Primary Health Care will help chart a course to ensure that everyone, everywhere can access quality, affordable primary health care in their community. Country representatives will sign and ratify a bold declaration to increase investments in primary health care to advance universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
WHO: Attendees will include heads of state; ministers of health, finance, education and social welfare; health workers and patients; youth delegates; and leaders representing global health institutions, civil society, academia, philanthropy, media and the private sector.
WHEN: 25-26 October 2018
WHERE: Astana, Kazakstan
WHY: Investing in primary health care is one of the most effective, cost-effective and equitable strategies to improve health outcomes and advance universal health coverage. On every continent and at every income level, countries are pursuing some of their most ambitious health reforms to date to expand access to health care and transform health systems.
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Notes to Editors
The conference will feature a two-day programme of six high-level plenaries, 20 parallel sessions, and partner-led side-events and exhibits. The provisional programme can be found here. The plenary sessions will be live-streamed. Ministers of Health and young people are expected to attend events throughout the conference, including a ministerial meeting to plan for the first High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in 2019. For updates, please visit the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Ministry of Kazakhstan. Follow the conference on Facebook & Instagram. Join the conversation on Twitter using #PrimaryHealthCare, #HealthForAll, and #Astana2018.
For more information and to arrange interviews with leaders and experts, please contact:
Gregory Hartl, World Health Organization Geneva, +41 22 791 4458, hartlg@who.int
Sabrina Sidhu, UNICEF New York, +1 917 476 1537, ssidhu@unicef.org
Kevin Short, Global Health Strategies (New York/ Astana), +1 949 838 5122, kshort@globalhealthstrategies.com
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About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.
