Honourable Chair, distinguished Executive Board members, ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to speak about this important item, on behalf of all our Regional Directors.
At the UN General Assembly high-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) in September 2023, Member States committed to redoubling efforts, providing health coverage for 1 billion additional people by 2025 and putting in place measures - to ensure financial risk protection and eliminate impoverishment - due to health-related expenses by 2030.
But, we are not on track.
a. Nearly 300,000 women are still dying every year in pregnancy or childbirth - with limited progress in reduction of maternal mortality since 2015;
b. Each year, 17 million people die prematurely - before reaching the age of 70 years - from noncommunicable diseases - mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
c. And in 2023, 2.7 million more children were under-vaccinated or unvaccinated compared to 2019, signaling that recovery to pre-pandemic trends remains a challenge.
The inequalities across and within countries continue to grow. 3.3 billion people live in countries where debt-interest payments are greater than health or education expenditure, putting considerable constraint on health spending. Within countries, barriers to access health services disproportionately impact the poorest income quintile. We must reverse these trends.
Thankfully, we know that progress is possible through viable solutions. Since 2000, 30% of countries have expanded their service coverage while also reducing out-of-pocket costs.
Reorienting our health systems - based on a primary health care (PHC) approach - is the fastest and most effective, efficient, equitable and inclusive path to UHC. 90% of UHC interventions can be delivered through the PHC approach, potentially:
a. Saving 60 million lives;
b. Increasing global life expectancy by 3.7 years by 2030; and
c. Generating an estimated 75% of the projected health gains-under the Sustainable Development Goals
There are several key achievements of which we can be proud. For example:
a. In the European region, demonstration sites promote cross-country learning on PHC. Our UHC watch interactive site provides timely information on country policies addressing financial protection. And several countries are undertaking health labour market analyses.
b. Similarly, the South-East Asia regional forum for primary health care-oriented health systems convenes Member States and partners to facilitate learning, collaboration, knowledge transfer, and alignment.
c. In the Americas, PAHO is leading the Alliance for PHC, working with development banks and Member States to ensure that investments are aligned with PHC.
d. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Mediterranean, our colleagues are keeping essential public health functions in the centre of the health systems debate, particularly in conflict affected areas.
e. The Regional Office for Africa, in the past year, adopted the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter, and launched a regional report on progress in financial protection.
f. And in my region, we are working to co-develop transformation sites at the subnational level where our disease and health systems teams are together because PHC reforms will only be achieved if everyone is included.
Acting on our joint political commitment, we must build on these achievements and address critical challenges in health workforce.
And we must use our position to galvanize the support of the global health ecosystem in this effort, particularly in areas of highest need, such as fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings.
As such, we are enhancing support to Member States through the UHC partnership; Health Impact Investment Platform; and UHC2030.
On behalf of my fellow Regional Directors, I reaffirm WHO’s commitment to support countries to realize their commitment to achieving health for all by 2030.