Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will deliver the keynote address at the opening of the second meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) Health Working Group on Wednesday.

The meeting will take place at the Capital Zimbali Resort in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, and will last for three days. 

The theme of the meeting will be “Accelerating Health Equity, Solidarity, and Universal Coverage”.

Motsoaledi will be joined by Deputy Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, and KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane.

The event will also include several side events that provide a platform for delegates to engage in bilateral and multilateral discussions on various critical issues, including strengthening health systems and promoting equitable access to health services. 

Key issues for discussion during the meeting and side events include financial protection for universal health coverage (UHC) and maintaining health financing amid a challenging global economy. 

The meeting will also zoom into strengthening investments and advancing UHC, bridging the equity gap to accelerate action to address the burden of non-communicable diseases, and responding to the global health financing emergency. 

The Department of Health has announced that a co-sponsored event focused on the elimination of cervical cancer will take place alongside this meeting. 

Delegates from G20 countries, invited nations, representatives, and international organisations will be in attendance. 

South Africa holds the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, only five years before the deadline of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. South Africa has embraced the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” for its G20 Presidency. 

The G20 comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States and two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). 

The first virtual G20 Health Working Group meeting was held in January as part of the country’s G20 Presidency activities planned for this year.