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Making Global Health Inclusive!
On 29th September 2020, the conference on 'Being Left Behind - Making Global Health Inclusive!' took place in Berlin. The conference was jointly organized by bezev, Caritas international, Handicap International, Kindernothilfe and Misereor.
The current corona virus knows no boundaries and can affect anyone and everyone. However, how people can protect themselves and how they are affected by its effects varies.
At the international level, current experience shows that in many countries, people with disabilities have been forgotten in this pandemic, and they first had to be made aware of the need to be taken into account.
This crisis exemplifies the deficiencies that exist in healthcare systems. Good health care is not available for many people, especially people with disabilities - often with serious consequences. Even in rich countries, they still experience disadvantages.
With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the states have committed themselves with SDG 3 to ensuring a healthy life for all and promoting their well-being.
How are people with disabilities taken into account and how can health systems change in a more inclusive way within the framework of their universal health care so that no one is left behind?
What are the needs of children and women with disabilities or older people and what is already happening to make global health more inclusive?
What are the requirements for a more inclusive implementation of SDG 3?
These were questions that were jointly discussed and debated during the conference. You can view the conference programme here.
The accessible publication about the conference is now available (just in German) under the following link: Publication Conference Being Left Behind
The theme of the conference and the publication is 'Being Left Behind - Making Global Health Inclusive'.
Gabriele Weigt, managing director of bezev, welcomes the participants on site and online at the extraordinary conference Being Left Behind under special corona conditions.
Presentations by the Speakers
The introduction by Jürgen Dusel, the Federal Government Commissioner for the Interests of People with Disabilities, was followed by presentations on the global challenges in the field of health care for people with disabilities and on the experiences of people with disabilities in the current corona pandemic.
Afterwards, the first panel focused on international health policy issues relating to people with disabilities.
In the second panel, the topic of intersectionality in the field of health care for people with disabilities was impressively considered from three different levels.
Below you will find the presentations of the speakers:
The participants of the conference are following the various contributions with great interest, here the lecture of Ms. Kathrin Oellers from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Presentations from the Working Groups
After the lunch break, the participants exchanged experiences and approaches to solutions in three different working groups, both on-site and online, together with the speakers on the topics including health care in Germany, universal health care in technical cooperation, and universal health coverage and rehabilitation.
The event was rounded off in the afternoon with a panel discussion in which representatives from politics, international cooperation and civil society discussed the question of how Germany can contribute to an inclusive implementation of SDG 3.
Have a look at the presentations of the speakers:
Kathrin Oellers from BMZ, Alarcos Cieza from WHO, Jessica Schröder from the German Disability Council and Georg Kippels from the German Parliament's Subcommittee on Global Health discuss together with conference moderator Tillmann Elliesen.