Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 25 November 2021, within the framework of the autumn session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the international conference "Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals" was held in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The plenary session was opened by the Chairperson of the IPA CIS Council Valentina Matvienko, noting the relevance of the topic, highlighted three components in the fight against Covid-19 - free access to vaccines, increasing the efficiency of response in case of emergencies and the widest possible coverage of the population with health services.

The conference was attended by the heads of parliamentary delegations of the IPA CIS, the leadership of the European Regional Bureau of the World Health Organization.

During the event, the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis Tanzila Narbaeva made a presentation. Noting the reforms being carried out in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Sh. including the fight against the spread of infectious and hereditary diseases.

The head of the Uzbek delegation also made a proposal to hold a forum on the problem of universal health coverage, given its relevance, on a regular basis.

The speakers noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected all spheres of life of our states and has become the main challenge for the international community. An open dialogue between the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization and the IPA CIS will help find answers to many questions in this direction, the participants emphasized.

The conference also included panel discussions on the Role of Parliaments in Legislative Enforcement of the Right to Access to Public Health Services and Health Care, The Right to Universal Health Coverage: Universal Access to Quality Health Care, and Protection from Financial Risks.