Thank you for contacting me about Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Government recognises the importance of achieving UHC globally, which is why the UK has adopted a leadership role in championing progress on UHC to ensure that everyone, everywhere - including people of all ages - have access to the essential health services they need without risk of financial hardship.
Established as target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations in 2015, the UK has already made significant efforts to achieve UHC by 2030. As a leading donor the World Health Organisation, the UK provides flexible core funding to the World Health Organisation to pursue its 'triple billion' targets: to ensure that one billion more people across 40 countries have UHC, to protect one billion more people from health emergencies, and to provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
The UK continues to invest in a portfolio of global health research projects that address major global health challenges. This includes expanding research into strengthening health systems for UHC and ending preventable deaths. This is why the UK is committed to working through its bilateral and multilateral programmes to promote joined-up approaches to health system strengthening with Primary Health Care at its heart, in conjunction to remaining one of the greatest donors to vaccines. For example, the UK has committed £1.65 billion to Gavi from 2021-2025 and £25 million for the Gavi Matching Fund, in addition to being the third largest donor to the Global Fund, with a total contribution of £4.55 billion to date.
The upcoming High-Level Meeting at the United Nations in September will serve as an opportunity to push for UHC at home and across the world. I know the UK will lobby for firm global commitments to achieving UHC by 2030, with the message of no one being left behind at the heart of such commitments, and country-led commitments to take tangible steps forward.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.