Universal Health Coverage

The UK is a global champion for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). I am proud that the UK has been a vital pioneer through the establishment of the National Health Service and continues to host many of the best medical scientists and practitioners in the world.
 
It is firmly in the UK's national interest to work with countries to promote good health, to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, and to contribute to the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Tackling these challenges is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. Earlier this year, the UK Government set out its progress through its first Voluntary National Review.
 
The UK Government provides funding to the World Health Organisation through the UHC partnership programme, along with the EU, Japan and other donors. This supports the development of UHC country plans to help countries to prioritise their own pathway to achieve UHC. Over 60 countries have now developed these plans and the UK Government is advocating the use of the plans to drive greater coordination of efforts from other multilaterals.
 
I am pleased that the UK will pledge up to £1.4 billion to the Sixth Replenishment of the Global Fund which will be hosted by France in October. A successful replenishment will help the Global Fund partnership to save 16 million lives, avert 234 million cases or new infections, and strengthen countries' health systems to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. To reach the Global Fund's ambitious target of at least $14 billion and get the world back on track to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030, as called for in the Sustainable Development Goals, donors from both public and private sectors will have to step up.