Arun B. Nair, State Director – Kerala, and Dr. Uma Aysola, Global Director – Communications and Partner Engagement, represented ACCESS Health International at the 4th Annual Meeting of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Forum for PHC-oriented Health Systems, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Annual Meeting focused on advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) as the foundation of resilient health systems across South-East Asia. The agenda emphasised “how to improve” approaches, bringing together evidence, country experiences, and partner perspectives to address persistent PHC bottlenecks related to financing, access, quality, workforce capacity, digital transformation, and community engagement, particularly for remote and underserved populations.
As part of the Forum, Arun Nair and Dr. Uma Aysola participated in the session “How to Improve Community Engagement for Remote and Underserved Areas.” This session examined practical strategies for enabling access to a wider range of quality services, strengthening collaboration with local bodies, and fostering collective action to address social determinants of health in challenging contexts.
Dr. Uma Aysola also delivered a presentation titled “Local Voices, Shared Ownership: Strengthening Primary Care Initiatives,” highlighting the importance of meaningful community participation, shared accountability, and locally grounded approaches in designing and sustaining effective primary care initiatives.
Across the three-day meeting, deliberations also covered accelerating UHC through stronger PHC financing, improving access and quality of care in rural, remote, and urban low- and middle-income country settings, leveraging digital and AI-enabled solutions, and reinforcing the health workforce. Through scene-setting presentations, in-depth case studies, and policy-focused discussions, the Forum offered forward-looking insights that will continue to inform ACCESS Health’s work on strengthening PHC-oriented health systems in South-East Asia and beyond.