Your Excellency Mr Csaba Kőrösi, President of the General Assembly;
Your Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana,
Your Excellency Suriya Chindawongse (Sureeya jin-da-wong), Permanent Representative of Thailand,
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed,
The Honourable Gabriela Cuevas Barron, Co-chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee,
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
The political declaration on universal health coverage that leaders adopted in 2019 was a landmark commitment to realising the right to health in all countries.
Little did we know then that the COVID-19 pandemic was just around the corner.
COVID-19 disrupted health systems around the world, depriving millions of essential health services, and setting countries back in their efforts to achieve UHC.
Rising out-of-pocket payments are making financial risk an increasing barrier to care for people around the world.
As you know, on Friday I declared an end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency.
However, the effects of COVID-19 will be with us for some time.
Progress is only one-third of the pace needed to reach the SDG target on UHC, and we need urgent action to get back on track.
As the world recovers from COVID-19, this year’s High-Level Meeting is a vital opportunity to rekindle political commitment, supported by evidence-based priorities to drive progress.
In all countries, national health plans are the essential pathway, with a focus on strengthening health systems through a primary health care approach.
Primary health care can deliver around 90% of essential interventions, and could save an estimated 60 million lives by 2030.
It is also crucial to global health security.
This multi-stakeholder hearing is an important opportunity to hear from a diverse range of stakeholders, and to exchange views on key priorities for the high-level meeting and its political declaration.
Let me highlight three priorities for your consideration:
First, WHO calls on all countries to invest more and invest better, through health financing policies that provide equitable access to services and improved financial protection.
Second, we call on all countries to take a whole-of-society approach. Engaging civil society organisations and communities is critical, especially for addressing the needs of marginalised populations and improving gender equality and youth participation.
Our focus must be on the most underserved, especially mothers, newborns and children.
Third, we call on all countries to implement the commitments made in the Working for Health Action Plan for 2022 to 2030, so that every country has the national workforce capacity - with decent pay and working conditions - for public health, universal health coverage and health emergencies.
Thank you all for your commitment to realising the vision of universal health coverage in every country, and to a healthier, safer, fairer future for our world.
I thank you.