The countries of WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region signed a UHC2030 Global Compact during the “Ministerial meeting on the road towards universal health coverage” taking place in Salalah, Oman, from 3 to 5 September 2018. Ministers of health and heads of delegations collectively approved the landmark document, making the Region the first among WHO’s 6 regions to do so.
The signing of the UHC2030 Global Compact demonstrates a high level of commitment to take action to make progress towards UHC by all countries of the Region. It means that signatories and their governments have commited to working together effectively to accelerate progress towards UHC through building equitable, resilient and sustainable health systems.
The UHC 2030 Global Compact aims to build a political momentum and advocate for sufficient, appropriate and well-coordinated resource allocations to health systems and to encourage partners to track progress and be accountable.
The UHC 2030 International Health Partnership serves as a platform to exchange knowledge and act collectively to strengthen health systems. By joining UHC2030, signatories will have access to a network of global health experts and the chance to share experiences and work collectively to strengthen health systems.
The meeting was inaugurated under the patronage of HRH Al-Sayed Asaad Bin Tariq Bin Taimour Al Said, Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, and the Special Representative of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.
During technical sessions, participants were briefed on a World Bank analysis of UHC reforms in over 40 countries with a total of 2.6 billion people. Among the lessons that emerged was that all countries regardless of their income status can and should move towards UHC.
Dr Zafar Mirza, Director of Health System Development in the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the importance of the package of essential health services being provided to the whole of a population in the context of UHC, along with a set of intersectoral services which address behavioural and environmental risks.
On the last day of the meeting participants will further discuss efforts to strengthen health systems to achieve UHC and safeguard against health crises, and what is meant by “leaving no one behind” – a key principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
