Event highlights
The Meeting of the New Technical Advisory Group Members on Universal Health Coverage (UHC TAG) in the Western Pacific Region was convened from 28 to 29 September in Manila, Philippines in a hybrid format. This engaged UHC TAG and TAG Alliance members, other experts and WHO staff from all three levels of the Organization. In this new phase (2023–2026) of the UHC TAG, the focus shifts from providing regional level guidance to offering country level tailored advice and support, which is guided by the new TAG members with diverse expertise to foster a systems approach.
Informed by the global, regional and country insights on UHC progress, the meeting set forth the vision of UHC TAG which is to serve as a responsive, multidisciplinary expert advisory body committed to creating country impact and advancing UHC in collaboration with WHO and Member States. To achieve this, four priority interventions of the UHC TAG were identified:
- provide strategic advice and capacity building,
- create country support groups based on common needs,
- advocate UHC agenda to policy-makers, and
- contribute to developing tools and guidelines.
Over the next years, the UHC TAG will continue to act as a robust platform for providing strategic support and tailored guidance to WHO and the Member states for collaboratively advancing UHC in the Region.
Event notice
28 – 29 September 2023
Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities receive quality health services when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. It is the overarching target of the Sustainable Development Goal on Health (SDG 3), central to achieving the Triple Billion targets globally and the foundation for realizing the For the Future vision in the Western Pacific Region.
Since 2016, the Technical Advisory Group on Universal Health Coverage in the Western Pacific Region (UHC TAG) has been advising WHO and Member States to accelerate UHC progress in countries. With this robust mechanism, Member States, experts, and partners are annually convened through UHC TAG meetings to take stock of UHC progress, identify priorities and set strategic direction to advance UHC.
Outcomes of the first phase of UHC TAG from 2016 to 2019 had reinforced the five attributes of high performing health system and its action domains, articulated in the Universal health coverage : moving towards better health : action framework for the Western Pacific Region.
The second phase of UHC TAG (2020-2022) evolved in thematic discussions with the backdrop of the Western Pacific Region adopting the “For the Future” vision in 2019 and the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. To further strengthen synergies of various health programmes with UHC, the TAG Alliance was established in 2020 as a coordination mechanism. Outcomes during this phase recognized the need to transition from the “new normal” to the “new future”, capitalizing on the opportunities and lessons from the pandemic and developing pragmatic tool to facilitate country’s health system transformation towards UHC.
The third phase of UHC TAG will be from 2023 to 2026 and is envisaged to shift from a regional level guidance to a greater country focus. This will be supported by 12 new UHC TAG members that cover diverse expertise, encompassing the thematic priorities of the Region, technical areas of health systems, and determinants beyond the health sector. This mix of expertise will foster systems approach in providing advice on developing pragmatic tools, guidance and recommendations to countries in transforming systems towards health for all.
Participants:
New UHC TAG members, TAG Alliance members, other experts, WHO staff from headquarters, and the regional and country offices.
Objectives:
- Discuss UHC progress and challenges in the Region and globally, within the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Set the future direction and priority areas of the UHC TAG with a greater country focus on providing policy and technical advice towards advancing UHC; and
- Provide recommendations for the UHC tools and the focus of the seventh UHC TAG Meeting towards increasing country impact.
For updates on the event and future outcomes of discussion, please visit the UHC in the Western Pacific webpage.
Contact information:
Dr Rajesh Narwal
Coordinator, Universal Health Coverage
Data, Strategy and Innovation Group
WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific
wprouhc@who.int