Geneva, December 2 (BNA): The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission have agreed to strengthen a decade-long collaboration to accelerate the achievement of universal health coverage.
The letter of intent provides for an additional contribution of the European Union (EU) in the amount of 125 million euros for the continuation of WHO assistance to Member States over the next five years, which is implemented through the Universal Health Coverage Partnership (UHC Partnership).
The scheme will focus on strengthening health systems to make them more resilient and responsive to natural, climatic or man-made disasters.
“Health is a fundamental human right, and universal health coverage is critical to realizing this right. The COVID-19 pandemic has been overwhelming evidence that universal health coverage is the foundation for resilience and sustainable development for all.
This is true for individuals and families facing a life-threatening illness, and it is true for countries – and the world at large – in the face of epidemics and epidemics. “I am grateful to the European Union for its strong leadership and longstanding commitment to helping the world achieve universal health coverage,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Partnership with the World Health Organization is one of the main outcomes of the new EU Global Health Strategy adopted yesterday by the European Commission. Strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage worldwide is one of the three main priorities of the strategy.
“Today I am pleased to sign with Dr Tedros a new EU contribution of €125 million for the period 2023-2027 to our UHC partnership with the World Health Organization.
As COVID-19 has dramatically highlighted, resilient health systems and equitable access to healthcare are keys to ensuring individual well-being and effectively identifying and managing public health threats.
WHO established the Universal Health Coverage Partnership in 2011 with support from the European Commission to help catalyze action at country level to make health for all a reality.
With the support of seven countries in its first phase, the initiative has seen steady expansion, with the European Commission remaining a major contributor.
With consolidated funding from eight donors, 130 health policy advisors have been deployed to date across 120 WHO country offices covering more than 4 billion people. Health policy advisors play a critical role in bringing technical expertise to WHO in promoting policy dialogue, national health planning, health security, addressing noncommunicable diseases and more.
The Partnership also provides financing for catalytic projects and helps engage partners to enable effective development cooperation.
Today, the Universal Health Coverage Partnership is one of WHO’s largest platforms for international collaboration on universal health coverage and primary health care.
As a source of mostly flexible funding, it supports the organization in providing assistance that responds to evolving priorities, including in the context of health emergencies such as disease outbreaks and conflict.
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