Cyprus Minister of Health, Dr George Pamboridis, chaired on Sunday, 21 May 2017, this year’s Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting. The Meeting is held every year in Geneva, before the World Health Assembly, providing a unique platform for deliberating on common challenges and for sharing experiences between Commonwealth Health Ministers.
The agenda of this year’s Meeting included Sustainable Development Goals, with special emphasis on Universal Health Coverage at all levels, as well as matters of Global Security and Violence, including Family Violence.
During her opening speech, the Commonwealth’s Secretary General, Ms Patricia Scotland, stressed the importance all Commonwealth governments place on financing Universal Health Coverage, to the benefit of their citizens, recognizing that powerful health systems also contribute directly to a balanced and sustainable development of society.
“Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting provides a unique opportunity for gathering and deliberating extensively on selected issues of common interest in the agenda for Health”, Minister Pamboridis noted in his intervention. “The assurance of Universal Health Coverage must be the centre of gravity for all national efforts, despite Commonwealth Countries’ diverse set of health needs. At the same time, the global geographic spread of our countries implies the necessity of taking action jointly on cross border risks to public health security, since domestic action alone has not proved sufficient in ensuring health on a local level”, he added.
The Health Ministers adopted an Action Plan, aiming at accessible health services for the entire population of Commonwealth member states.