Positioning health at the centre of global agendas

Dear UHC advocate,  

There have been quite a few developments since our last newsletter in May. World leaders at the 78th World Health Assembly adopted the much-anticipated landmark Resolution on Strengthening health financing globally, which offers a blueprint for using limited resources more effectively and investing in health as a foundation for economic stability. Shortly thereafter, decision-makers at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) pledged to end poverty, reduce inequalities, and increase investment in UHC and inclusive, equitable, affordable, resilient and quality health systems. The 2025 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) was yet another opportunity to advocate for greater investment in health, especially in the context of the in-depth reviews of SDG 3, Good health and well-being and SDG 5, Gender equality. Given the joint focus on health and gender equality, we also seized the opportunity to launch our new Strategic narrative to drive advocacy and action on gender-responsive health systems.  

It’s been a busy season, but there’s still plenty of work to do. With the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) coming up in September, including a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), we’re now reminding leaders that NCD and UHC targets are interdependent. Nearly two billion people face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health spending. And NCDs, which often require long-term treatment, place a particularly heavy financial burden on families, leading to generational cycles of debt, poverty and disease. At the NCD high-level meeting, we want leaders to acknowledge that UHC is the solution, as it ensures that everyone, everywhere, can access the full range of essential health services they need—when and where they need them—without financial hardship.   

In the coming weeks, we’ll also be launching the 2025 UHC Day campaign, which will continue to focus on the urgent need to protect people from impoverishing health costs. Because when leaders prioritize equitable access to affordable health services, they lay the groundwork for sustainable progress across all sectors.   

Thank you for staying engaged and connected with us. In challenging times like these, your voice and actions shine brighter than ever, and your commitment gives us hope for the path ahead. 

Sincerely,  

The UHC2030 Secretariat 

Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development  

We saw strong health initiatives at FfD4 which reinforced the role health plays in contributing to economic growth and sustainable development. These include WHO’s 3 by 35 tax initiative targeting tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks to cut deaths and boost health and development funding, as well as Spain’s initiative to renew the global health ecosystem. We also celebrated the reiterated commitment to increase investment in UHC in the final outcome document, the Compromiso de Sevilla.  

High-Level Political Forum  

The SDG 3 review was a stark wake-up call: with less than five years to go to the 2030 milestone, fewer than 10% of SDG 3 targets are on track. Stakeholders agreed that, to safeguard critical gains and overcome strains in global health financing, countries must prioritize achieving UHC through strong primary health care, which can contribute to 75% of the projected health gains from the SDGs. 

Given the focus on health through the in-depth SDG 3 review, UHC2030 and partners set out to make the case that health, and UHC in particular, drives progress across all of the SDGs through its social media campaign, “What’s health got to do with it? Everything.” . In the lead-up to and during the HLPF proceedings, we urged decision-makers to #InvestInHealth for sustainable development.    

Gender-responsive health systems 

On the sidelines of the 2025 High-level Political Forum, UHC2030, Women in Global Health, CSEM, PMNCH, IFMSA, Women Deliver, and the Alliance for Gender Equity and UHC mobilized partners for the event “Advancing gender-responsive health systems for UHC: Launch of UHC2030’s strategic narrative to drive advocacy and action”. This new narrative provides advocacy messages and targeted actions to influence decision-makers, close the gap between commitments and implementation, and ensure gender equality is at the heart of health system strengthening for UHC.  

Take action! 

Help us show decision-makers that #HealthCostsHurt. If you have ever been affected by health costs, post a video with your story on social media using #HealthCostsHurt, and tag @UHC2030 and @CSEM2030. To drive progress, we’ll be amplifying the videos during key moments, including this year’s #UHCDay campaign. Join the movement to push for action and remind decision-makers that health is a right, not a privilege. 

Let's hold leaders to account for their UHC commitments. Fill out the short global ACT for UHC survey today to help us understand the challenges people face in accessing healthcare, including financial barriers. Your answers will help us better understand how to improve healthcare access and advocate for changes that benefit communities like yours. The results of the survey will be included in the upcoming report "From Commitment to Action: A Global UHC Action Tracker (ACT for UHC)". Click here to get started. 

Mark your calendars!

• 18 September: Global Webinar on Institutionalizing Social Participation for Health, hosted by WHO in collaboration with the National Health Commission Office of Thailand  
• 22 September: Social participation and health equity as drivers of sustainable and prosperous Societies (In-person UNGA side event.) Registration details to follow.
• 24 September:  The political economy analysis of implementing primary health care: key policy shifts, hosted by Kazakhstan and WHO. (In-person event.) 
• 26 September: Strategic investments for resilient health systems: strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage in a changing world, hosted by Georgia, Japan and Thailand, in collaboration with WHO and UHC2030. Livestream here. 
• Early October: UHC Day campaign launch. Stay tuned for details! 

In case you missed it...

• News article: 2025 ACT for UHC survey: Raise your voice for UHC! 

• News article on the High-Level Political Forum: UHC drives progress across all of the SDGs 

• Statement from WHO and UHC2030: A joint statement on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 

• Event summary: Launch of UHC2030’s Strategic Narrative to Drive Advocacy and Action on Gender-Responsive Health Systems for UHC 

• Blog from the Coalition of Partnerships for UHC and Global Health: The Political Declaration of the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs must prioritize UHC, health equity and participatory governance 

• News article on the Fourth Financing for Development Conference: Financial health starts with strong health financing 

• Statement from the UHC Movement Political Panel: The UHC Movement celebrates the adoption of the WHA resolution on strengthening health financing globally 

UHC2030 Secretariat is provided by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.