Early on Tuesday, November 17, North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney will be addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as part of a panel on universal health coverage in times of COVID-19.
According to a media release from Blaney, the IPU is a global organization of 179 member national parliaments that promotes democratic governance, institutions and values. In October of 2019 the IPU adopted a resolution calling for all national parliaments to take steps toward achieving universal health coverage by 2030, the release stated. Six months later, parliaments and health-care systems in every country in the world were dealing with a global pandemic, stated Blaney.
“It’s always an honour to represent our country at an international forum,” added Blaney, “especially when the topic is something we are so proud of as New Democrats and as Canadians.”
In her speech, Blaney will present universal health care as a hallmark of Canadian identity, but also as an imperfect and incomplete project, the release stated. She will speak to the shortcomings and inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the urgency and challenges it has presented to bringing about the changes needed to create a truly universal health-care system that is accessible to all and covers all aspects of health, according to the release.
The Canadian presentation is one of four, following members of parliament from Zambia and Thailand, as well as an expert from the World Health Organization beginning at 4:30 am on the west coast.
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