Universal Health Coverage Partnership
The UHC Partnership helps deliver WHO’s support and technical expertise in advancing universal health coverage through a primary health care approach in 115 countries, representing a population of at least 3 billion people.
The UHC Partnership is one of WHO’s largest platforms for international cooperation on universal health coverage (UHC) and primary health care (PHC). It comprises a broad mix of health experts working hand in hand to promote UHC and PHC by fostering policy dialogue on strategic planning and health systems governance, developing health financing strategies and supporting their implementation, and enabling effective development cooperation in countries.
Our aim is to strengthen country capacities and reinforce the leadership of the Ministry of Health in building resilient and effective health systems in a sustainable manner. We bridge the gap between global commitments and country implementation on the ground.
Since its inception in 2011, the UHC Partnership has expanded steadily, reaching 115 member countries worldwide.
We combine sound technical expertise with political commitment, financial resources and long-standing experience in health systems strengthening, both at the international and national level. Health policy advisors work closely with national Ministries of Health, WHO country offices and partner delegations. These key stakeholders are supported by a large number of health experts from WHO regional offices and headquarters as well as from the offices of the European Union, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and IrishAid.
Learn how the UHC Partnership supports WHO’s COVID-19 response.
UHC is a political choice to be made by every nation: to ensure that all people and communities, without leaving anyone behind, receive the quality services they need, including protection from health threats, without suffering financial hardship.
Treading the path towards UHC requires robust policies, political will and strong capacity of governments to steer the health sector. Policy dialogue can be an important driver for governments to make evidence-informed decision-making. Putting UHC into practice means brokering consensus among all relevant stakeholders on health priorities in order to jointly move towards set targets. Those priorities must then be reflected in national health plans, in essence charting the country’s road map towards health for all.
Joint Working Team for primary health care and universal health coverage (JWT for PHC & UHC)
The JWT for PHC & UHC connects three levels of WHO—from country, regional and global offices across different technical areas—as well as donors and observers in supporting the achievement of country priorities in the journey towards health for all.
Live monitoring
The live monitoring of the WHO Country Support Plans provides a unique opportunity for WHO and its partners to actively and regularly engage in dialogue on the UHC Partnership’s support to Member States to help them deliver on their UHC goals.
Multi-Donor Coordination Committee (MDCC)
The MDCC provides a visible and transparent mechanism to enable discussions on cross-cutting issues and coordinate donor funding for UHC.
High-Level Steering Committee
A high-level steering committee within WHO ensures strong accountability in the implementation of the UHC Partnership’s activities at global, regional and country level.
