BACKGROUND :

Last year, the PMAC 2017 side event, titled: ‘stronger health financing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable’ reinvigorated discourse about partnerships for better health financing for an inclusive society. The participants called for continued dialogue to ensure that goals, strategies and messages across sectors for increasing health financing and broad-based partnerships to meet the needs of the most vulnerable are consistent and carried forward to the context of emerging health needs, including addressing anti-microbial resistance and other emerging infectious diseases. Vulnerability is too often associated with poverty, but it is also shaped by political processes and policies, legislation that excludes population groups or criminalizes certain behaviours, and social attitudes that marginalize, stigmatize and discriminate. Achieving SDGs, including UHC will not be possible, unless those who are disproportionately affected are part of the public discourse to help shape global, regional and national health, social policies and legislative framework. This session will enable the participants to share best practices to influence policy changes in the area related to health financing and programs for vulnerable populations, expanding basic social protection services and addressing social norms and legal framework to reach and protect neglected populations in the context of UHC. This half-day side event for the first time will bring together vulnerable and neglected populations for HIV, TB and Malaria, as well as disability, indigenous populations and undocumented migrant movement and others who have been left out of public discourse on UHC.