MoHP and WHO forum charts new path to strengthen urban primary health care for universal health coverage

12 November | Lalitpur, Bagmati province - The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and WHO Country Office for Nepal, in collaboration with UNICEF and UN Habitat, organized an interactive forum on Primary Health Care (PHC) for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the theme "Strengthening Urban Primary Health Care to Advance Urban Health Equity in Nepal". This was the third event in the dialogue series held this year, aimed at advancing discussions on strengthening urban PHC to promote health equity. The forum brought together over 60 participants from government institutions, academia, civil society, community, municipalities representatives, female community health volunteers and development partners to reflect and call to action on Nepal’s evolving urban PHC landscape. The technical plenary included presentations from WHO and other experts who provided an overview of PHC and urban health, and its critical challenges and recommended actions to develop equitable urban primary health care. Community representatives also shared lived experiences, illustrating barriers to accessing urban health services and the importance of inclusive, people-centered care. Stakeholders discussed key challenges and innovations to enhance service delivery, governance and equity for marginalized populations, emphasizing sustainable financing, community engagement and accountability mechanisms. The forum concluded with actionable policy recommendations regarding mapping and profiling, community engagement, strong essential health services delivery mechanism and multisectoral partnerships toward equitable and resilient urban primary health care systems to advance UHC goals by 2030.