News & Updates

Vol 3 

Come winter, the fervour of conferences and workshops have just begun. I want to introduce my colleague Nitya Jacob who has taken over as Chief of Party. He is a good friend and colleague and I have the pleasure of handing over the reins of the Learning4Impact platform to him.

In this edition, we look at Universal Health Coverage: the idea that the WHO Director-General has described as “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer.”
In simple terms, it means that everybody, regardless of who they are or where they live, should be able to get quality health services without facing financial hardship.

In the build-up to Universal Health Coverage Day on December 12, we are planning a series of engagements to highlight the different aspects of UHC, reflected in the sections of this newsletter: inclusive health systems, innovative financing, multi-sectoral partnerships, and technology as an accelerator.

Stay tuned for more on these areas! Meanwhile, do join the global campaign online, adding your voices and experiences to those of health implementers worldwide.

As always, we are happy to hear from you on anything exciting, insightful or useful, and we will include it in the next edition of The Byte.

My Best, 

Angela Chaudhuri
Impact Catalyst @Swasti
Let’s Tweet at @Angela_Swasti
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The WHO has identified equity in access to health services as the primary objective of UHC (followed by quality improvement and risk protection). But what are the key aspects of moving towards more inclusive health systems?

A recent USAID report reflects on inclusion in current investments, and the value of doing away with a one-size-fits-all perspective, as embodied in the term ‘and other vulnerable groups’. USAID partners have also been working on understanding and incorporating the voices of communities, through the YouthBol Poll by C3, and RASTA initiative by EVIDENCE.

At L4i, we have produced a set of reports on the urban poor’s access to health services in the areas of maternal and child health, family planning and non-communicable diseases.

The Health of India's Urban Poor Children
The Health of India's Urban Poor Mothers
Non- Communicable Devices
The Reproductive Health of India's Urban Poor

Ensuring the provision of quality health services while protecting against financial risk needs substantial financial resources. However, a World Bank report estimates that in 2030 there will be a UHC financing gap of $176 billion in the 54 poorest countries.

For developing countries like India, given the competing funding priorities and an existing financing gap, the proven but traditional models of funding may not be adequate. A range of innovative instruments is now available to help close this gap.

L4i is hosting a webinar on ‘Innovative Financing for Health’ to explore the cutting-edge developments in this space. The panellists will demystify financing concepts and innovations, and share emerging insights on what works, and why.

Beyond financing, the pathway to UHC requires leveraging resources such as knowledge, outreach, infrastructure and workforce to generate a multiplier effect on existing health system efforts. In particular, a partnership between the private and public sectors is crucial.

USAID’s new policy on Private Sector Engagement lays the groundwork for a shift towards market-oriented solutions to development challenges that can impact communities at scale.

Whether strengthening services at the Point of Care, making health workers and facilities more effective, catalysing outreach and engagement in communities, or opening up new avenues for scale, digital technology is a critical enabler for UHC.

This blogpost reflects on the opportunities and challenges of this space for development sector actors.

The recently concluded 50th Union Global Conference on Tuberculosis witnessed exciting developments, including news of a potential vaccine and discussions on better treatment access for vulnerable populations. One of the highlights was the Survivors’ Summit, summed up powerfully by TB champion Nandita Venkatesan at the opening ceremony, in which survivors called for ‘nothing about us, without us’.

To draw attention to the crucial issue of stigma raised by survivors, together with USAID, REACH and the Global Coalition of TB Activists, L4i has released a communique on why Tuberculosis is so stigmatized and what we as a community can do about it.