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The Catalyst Management Services (CMS) concluded a two-day meeting organised to bring together partners and government stakeholders of a joint engagement on leveraging lessons from achieving Covid-19 vaccine equity to strengthen health systems in Asia.
Enabled under the Global Vaccine Initiative (GVI) of The Rockefeller Foundation and implemented in India, Cambodia and the Philippines by CMS, the meeting helped the project partners to meet and share experiences and lessons learnt from the recent pandemic which disrupted lives and livelihoods across the globe.
The meeting dialogue between the participants showcased the efforts made by the governments to ensure that everybody infected or affected by Covid-19 got access to treatment and life-saving assistance. Efforts made to reach the last mile through innovation and dedication got special focus at the meeting. The meeting helped the participants brainstorm on ways to ensure that health systems are strengthened in a manner that they become robust and ready for future emergencies in an inclusive and equitable way.
Speaking at the workshop, Kathryn Bolles, director of health at The Rockefeller Foundation, said, “Time and time again, we’ve seen hard-to-reach communities suffer the most during health emergencies. The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to breaking this pattern. We are proud to support Catalyst Management Services as they strengthen regional health systems and expand the local health workforce, making sure that no one is left behind during the next health emergency.”
“We are today, facing unprecedented health situations, with antimicrobial resistance (AMR), zoonotic diseases etc on the increase. We do not know as yet, the scale of problems that will face us in future. This calls for robust health systems and pandemic readiness which can enable access to health for all, regardless of geography, ethnicity or gender. This project we hope will set direction for this right to be accessed. Our focus is also strongly on helping to fill gaps in health systems, which were found problematic during the pandemic. The various governments we are working with, have come forward readily to work with us and we hope to sustain these partnerships,” said Angela Chaudhuri, health practice lead at Catalyst Management Services.
The project’s India partners in Assam and Chhattisgarh were unanimous in expressing the need for taking forward the work done on Covid-19 related vaccine hesitancy.
Catalyst Management Services is a Social Investment Specialist that partners with Change Agents, sharing a joint ambition to unlock and accelerate impact, scale, and sustainability of development.
Senior management members from the Foundation and CMS were present along with members from the health departments of India, Cambodia and the Philippines. This included Cielo Krisel Lagman Luistro, Mayor, Tabaco City, Province of Albay, Philippines; Maria Francia Miciano-Laxamana, MD, MHSA, CHS, Undersecretary, Department of Health, Philippines; Dr. OrkVichit, deputy director of National Maternal and Child Health Center, Manager of National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health, Cambodia; Dr N K Beria, joint director, health and family welfare department, Mangaldai, Darrang District, Assam; and Dr. Avinash Khare, CMHO, Kanker District, Chhattisgarh, Mumtaz Ansari, state consultant, National Health Mission (NHM).
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