Dr. Tedros, WHO Director-General, joined the Foreign Ministers of Japan, Thailand and Georgia to host a Ministerial Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the High-level Meeting on UHC and promote the release of the UN Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on COVID-19 and UHC. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Health from around the world reflected on the commitments made in the Political Declaration on UHC, taking stock of national and global efforts to deliver UHC in the context of COVID-19 and the challenges and opportunities for building back better for a more equitable and sustainable world. The Foreign Minister of Japan announced US$130 million to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitments, of which the United Kingdom matched £32.5 million.
The event also included a thematic panel with global health leaders, who explored new and innovative partnerships to accelerate and scale up the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, as well as needed health system transformation to better protect health and human security.
Click here to watch the event.
Moderated by Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, the event included the participation of:
H.E. Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Foreign Minister of Japan
H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand
H.E. Mr. David Zalkaliani, Foreign Minister of Georgia
H.E. Ms. Raychelle Omamo SC, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Kenya
H.E. Mr. Amadou Ba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senegal
H.E. Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister of Health, Ghana
H.E. Dr. Daniel Salinas, Minister of Health, Uruguay
H.E. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health, India
H.E. Mr. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Tourism, French Nationals Abroad & Francophonie, France
H.E. Ms. Wendy Morton, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom
Ms. Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
H.E. Mr. ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Ms. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF
Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi
Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI
Ms. Sylvana Q. Sinha, CEO and Founder of Praava Health & Member of the UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency
Dr. Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, Executive Director, Center for Support Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) & Advisory Group Member of the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism
