Health Ministers from across the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland KC, will visit Geneva, Switzerland in May for the 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM).
CHMM will convene under the theme: “Getting Universal Health Coverage in the Commonwealth on track for 2030” on 20 May 2023.
Hosted by the Government of Kenya, the meeting will bring together Health Ministers, senior officials, and global health leaders from across the Commonwealth to advance Commonwealth progress on Universal Health Coverage and related issues such as strengthening primary health care, digital health, mental health and pandemic preparedness.
Resilient health systems
CHMM will also provide an opportunity to outline the Commonwealth’s key recommendations and solutions to ensure that Universal Health Coverage can be achieved by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministerial follows the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June last year, where Heads recognised that countries with strong health systems, effectively integrated public health functions, and Universal Health Coverage, were more resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universal health access
Through the CHOGM Communique, Heads resolved to allocate adequate resources to build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient health systems, with a focus on primary health care and reaching those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations. It is expected that through this intervention, the Commonwealth can accelerate progress towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage and strengthen preparedness for health emergencies, including for enabling an effective response to emergencies while maintaining access to essential health services.
This meeting follows the 34th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in 2022, where Health Ministers recognised that Universal Health Coverage will also help to address other emerging infectious diseases and global security threats, creating more resilient global health systems able to withstand future shocks.
Date and Venue
The 2023 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM), chaired by the Government of Kenya, will be held on 20 May 2023. The following key events will be held during this period:
- Senior Officials Meeting – Saturday 20 May 2023, 0930hrs – 1130hrs (Held in private)
- Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting – Saturday 20 May 2023, 1330hrs – 1745hrs
All meetings will be held in-person at in the conference facilities of the Hilton, Geneva Hotel and Conference Centre, Geneva, Switzerland.
Rue François Peyrot 34, 1818 Le Grand Saconnex, Geneva, CH, Switzerland
Side event
Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting side event – ‘No health without mental health’ intergenerational dialogue
On 23 May, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Youth Health Network (CYHN) will be holding a side event focused on mental health in the wings of the CHMM and 76th World Health Assembly also in Geneva, Switzerland.
The event will be held under the theme ‘No Health Without Mental Health: An Intergenerational Dialogue between Commonwealth youth leaders and policy makers” and will see young leaders hold a discussion with policymakers on national and regional interventions that can improve mental health service provision in the Commonwealth, particularly following the strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further information like how to register and media accreditation details can be found here.
Media Accreditation
Bonafide journalists from legitimate media organisations are invited to apply for media accreditation to attend CHMM and/or the side event.
CHMM is closed to media, but accredited journalists can attend the opening session to hear the Minister’s opening remarks and to take photos.
The Mental health side event is fully open to journalists. Those interested in accreditation for either CHMM, the side event, or both are asked to fill out submit the form below.
As spaces are limited, only successful media will be permitted to attend.
Applications for media accreditation closed on 1 May 2023.
For accreditation questions please contact our media team
For general enquiries please contact our CHMM team
