The redirection of resources to fight the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the healthcare system, forcing stakeholders to adapt at an accelerated speed. It has also put the healthcare system under the microscope, magnifying the existing gaps, particularly in Africa.  Against this backdrop, healthcare industry experts will be converging at the 21st Annual Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) Conference, where they will look at transformational strategies to disrupt the status quo with innovative approaches to strengthen the healthcare system.

 

Under the theme Leading Change in Strengthening our Healthcare Ecosystem, this year’s conference comes at an opportune time, when the world needs solutions to address the current challenges worsened by the pandemic. The conference will be held from 18 – 21 May 2022 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

The aim of the conference is to foster collaborative industry participation in efforts to build stronger health systems, promote sustained commitment, cross-learning, leadership, transparency, good governance and agility.

“Covid-19 has brought a lot of trauma to an already challenged healthcare system, particularly in Africa. One of the biggest lessons for us was that we must adapt and accelerate efforts to address our healthcare challenges and align across sectors to lead change in promoting access to quality care for the health citizen,” says Dr Katlego Mothudi, managing director of the BHF. 

 

According to Mothudi, the conference will as a consequence zoom into current healthcare status and challenges and call on the sector to provide leadership and an active response to these.

 

“Prioritising the strengthening of the ecosystem in tandem with the necessary transformational healthcare reform debates will be key,” he added.

The conference programme is anchored around the six World Health Organisation (WHO)’s building blocks aimed at strengthening the health system. Among others, key conference themes will spotlight:

  • Creating an understanding of the role of all stakeholders in strengthening the health system.
  • A review of the current state of health across the region.
  • Addressing the health needs of the uninsured
  • Sentiments analysis of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.
  • Framework to accelerate gender equality in healthcare
  • Addressing emerging health risks
  • If the COFI Bill is the answer to the regulatory lacuna for medical schemes.
  • Opportunities to address the needs of the employed but uninsured population in the context of healthcare reform.
  • Ways in which health funders can expand access to high-quality primary care while controlling costs.
  • Increasing primary care capacity.
  • Redesigning the system to shift care into the community and digital platforms.

 

Other themes to be explored include:

  • leadership and governance, health service delivery, with a focus on the health services necessary to deliver effective, safe, quality personal and non-personal health interventions to those who need them, when and where needed, with a minimum waste of resources.
  • information systems that drive a well-functioning health information system and are able to improve the production, analysis, dissemination and use of reliable and timely information on health determinants, health system performance and health status.
  • medical products, vaccines and technologies.
  • financing healthcare, with a focus on lessons learnt from Covid-19 and the requirements needed for future healthcare systems.

With the current challenges around staffing and the need for a fair distribution of resources, a crucial component of the conversation will focus on the health workforce.

 

About the BHF conference

The Annual BHF Conference is an environment that inspires industry cohesion on emerging issues, innovation, action, honest discussions about what’s next!

The BHF Conference is one of the largest healthcare conventions on the continent. It provides healthcare insights and facilitates engagement and cohesion on fundamental challenges facing the healthcare ecosystem. The conference offers networking opportunities such as the BHF Golf Challenge, the prestigious Titanium Awards and various cocktail functions.

Contact details: Zola Mtshiya: Board of Healthcare Funders; +27 (0) 65 819 2225 email: zolam@bhfglobal.com

Ntokozo Ndlovu: Toni Elephant Media; + 27 (0) 72  017 8396, email: nndlovu@tonielephant.co.za 

Nonkululeko Hlophe: Toni Elephant Media; + 27 (0) 71 140 8050, email: nhlophe@tonielephant.co.za