World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on April 7th, under the sponsorship of the World Health OPrganisation (WHO), Ministries of Health as well as other organisations.

The theme for this year's celebration is, 'Health for All-Universal Health Coverage'. The WHO is calling on world leaders to live up to the pledges they have made when they agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and commit to conrete steps to advance the health of all people. The Organisation will maintain a high-profile focus on UHC via a series of events through 2018, starting on World Health Day on April 7th, with global and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.

The Ministry of Health Welness and the Environment will make its contribution by hosting a symposium to discuss this topic. This activity is scheduled to commence at 9:00am on Thursday 5th, April, 2018, at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown. Dr. Rufus Ewing, PAHO advisor on Health Systems Development for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean will be the main facilitator for this event.

The purpose of the symposium is to increase awareness among decision makers, advocates and duty bearers of the required efforts involved in advancing UHC.

The target audience includes persons in top management positions in the private and public sector.

SOURCE: Ministry of Health, Wellness and The Environment