Health Equity and Challenges in Indonesia, Thailand, and South Africa

WEBINAR

Current Challenges Addressing Equity in Indonesia, Thailand and South Africa

Community of Practice for Health Equity

October 24, 2019

 Preface

Health Equity, according to WHO, refers to fair opportunity for everyone to attain their full health potential regardless of demographic, social, economic or geographic strata. The progressive realization of the right to health involves a concerted and sustained effort to improve health across all populations and reduce inequities in the enjoyment health.  Equity must be reached both between and within countries.  

Indonesia has already made significant advances in key population health indicators, but still face growing health risks.  Even though Universal Health Coverage was launched in Indonesia in 2014, there are still a number of health equity challenges. Supply side health facilities and human resources distribution indicates that there is still imbalance in health care utilization. It is concentrated in Java island, where geographical accesss is easier with lower cost of living,.  In terms of health financing,  not all of the population, especially those who live in remote areas can access health service for major illnesses such as cancer and cardiac diseases. UHC participants still need to pay out of pocket for transportation and accomodation to big cities which have those kinds of health services.  

Although equity is important everywhere, potential responses to the challenges of achieving greater equity in access to sustainable, high-quality health care vary greatly from country to country. Addressing health equity challenges are not an easy task and it can be useful to learn from the progress and challenges of other countries. South Africa and Thailand are two middle income countries with extremely interesting experiences in this issue. In South africa, there has been a long struggle to address wide inequalities across social, economic, ethnic and geographic groups, given its historical context of colonialism and apartheid. Its constitution paves a way towards equal access to basic health rights for all, but significant challenges remain to be addressed. Thailand is widely known by its national “30-baht” health insurance program that provides universal health care coverage to its citizens since 2002. However, the country still faces significant challenges beyond health care access and financial protection.  

This webinar will provide a great opportunity for us to discuss with two experts from South Africa and Thailand about their health equity challenges, both in the concepts and practices. We will then come back to deliberate on the situation and concerns related to health equity in Indonesia, which inludes and go beyond health care service access, particularly among at risk or vulnerable populations.

Purpose

1. Improve understanding about equity in health sector.
2. Learn about health equity and challanges in Indonesia, Thailand, and South Africa.
3. Promote virtual discussion forum for equity practitioners (Community of Practice in Health Equity).

 Place and Date

Day and date    : Thursday, 24^th October 2019

Time                   : 12.00 – 1.30 pm (GMT +7)

Place                  : Center for Health and Policy Management (CHPM), Research and Development Building Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, jalan Medika 1 Jogjakarta, 55281

Phone                : 62 274 549425

Link Webinar   :  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8844420258877299459

Webinar ID      : 657-222-139

 Targeted Audience 

1. Ministry of Health.
2. Provincial and District Health Offices.
3. Lecturers.
4. Students.
5. Researchers.
6. Health equity practitioners.

Resource Persons

 *to be confirmed

 Detailed Rundown