UHC High-Level Forum 2025: Global Health Systems, Funding & Future Goals

UHC High-Level Forum 2025 — “Health Works” & the UHC Knowledge Hub: What the Tokyo Forum Means for Global Health

By Flash Global News — December 06, 2025 | Updated: December 06, 2025

This long-form report (detailed analysis, 10-part structure) explains the outcomes and significance of the UHC High-Level Forum 2025 — hosted in Tokyo by the Government of Japan and co-convened by the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization (WHO). We break down the new initiatives (the UHC Knowledge Hub and the Health Works initiative), the UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 launch, country commitments, implications for low- and middle-income countries, and practical steps for policymakers, civil society and readers. Key sources: WHO, World Bank, UHC2030 and civil society statements. 1

Contents — 10 Parts

1. Part 1 — What is the UHC High-Level Forum? (Context & goals)
2. Part 2 — Major announcements: UHC Knowledge Hub & Health Works
3. Part 3 — UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025: headline findings
4. Part 4 — Who participated & why political commitment matters
5. Part 5 — Country commitments: National Health Compacts and financing
6. Part 6 — Civil society, community voice, and accountability
7. Part 7 — Implications for Pakistan & South Asia (practical pathway)
8. Part 8 — Barriers, risks and the role of the private sector
9. Part 9 — Recommendations: 12 actionable steps
10. Part 10 — FAQ, myths, and final call to action

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Official UHC Forum Livestream (embedded)

Watch the official WHO / World Bank livestream (open session) below.

(If the video is not visible in your region, watch via World Bank Live or WHO live pages.)

Part 1 — What is the UHC High-Level Forum? (Context & goals)

The UHC High-Level Forum 2025 is a global convening to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) — the principle that every person can access quality health services without financial hardship. The Forum (hosted in Tokyo on 5–6 December 2025) brings ministers of health and finance, international agencies, private sector representatives, philanthropies and civil society organizations together to convert commitments into funded, measurable plans. The Forum features a public programme, panel discussions and the official launch of two major initiatives designed to strengthen countries’ capacity to implement reforms. 2

Why a high-level forum? UHC is a cross-sectoral challenge — it requires political leadership (not only health ministries), predictable financing, stronger primary health care and formal mechanisms for accountability. A “high-level” event aims to ensure ministers of finance and heads of state take decisions, not merely technical staff. The 2025 Forum intentionally frames UHC as an economic and social investment, not just an expenditure line on budgets.

Part 2 — Major announcements: UHC Knowledge Hub & 'Health Works'

Two announcements dominated the Forum:

• UHC Knowledge Hub — a joint initiative by WHO and the World Bank Group, supported by Japan. The Hub focuses on capacity building for health financing, technical assistance, and knowledge exchange for Ministries of Health and Finance. It will deliver targeted training and tools to design resilient health financing reforms at country level. 3
• Health Works — a global initiative championed by the World Bank that aims to expand quality, affordable health services to an additional 1.5 billion people by 2030. Health Works will promote national “Health Compacts” — time-bound country plans that align reforms, finance and implementation. The initiative frames health investment as job creation and economic stimulus as well as improved well-being. 4

Both initiatives are complementary: the UHC Knowledge Hub supplies technical capacity; Health Works creates political momentum and a results-oriented financing platform. Together they offer governments both the “how” (skills & tools) and the “why” (economic and social case) to accelerate reforms.

Part 3 — UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025: headline findings

During the Forum the UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 was released (a joint WHO–World Bank publication). While the full report contains country-level data and metrics, three headline messages stand out:

1. Coverage gaps remain large: Billions still lack access to essential services or face financial hardship when seeking care.
2. Primary health care (PHC) is underfunded: Countries that invest in PHC see better outcomes and lower costs long term — yet many LMICs (low- and middle-income countries) under-invest or have fragmented funding streams.
3. Financing sustainability and governance matter: Political commitment alone is insufficient without robust public finance management, transparent procurement, and health workforce planning.

Read the full monitoring report to study country tables, service coverage indices, and financial protection indicators. The UHC forum used the report to press countries to convert findings into National Health Compacts. 5

Part 4 — Who participated & why political commitment matters

The Forum intentionally targeted senior decision-makers: ministers of finance, ministers of health, finance ministry directors, World Bank country directors, WHO regional directors, and heads of philanthropic or private partners. Civil society networks and representatives from the Global South were included to ensure community voice — though civil society statements called for stronger accountability and meaningful engagement in compact design. 6

Political commitment matters because:

• Major reforms require legal and budgetary changes which only high-level officials can authorize.
• Health financing reforms often shift how public funds flow (e.g., from tertiary hospitals to primary care) and need cross-ministry coordination.
• External finance and concessional loans are easier to mobilize when there is a clear government plan and leadership.

Part 5 — Country commitments: National Health Compacts and financing

A key operational tool promoted at the Forum is the National Health Compact — a time-bound, negotiated agreement between government, civil society and partners that lays out financing, reforms, targets and monitoring mechanisms. Compacts are not one-size-fits-all; they reflect country context, fiscal space and political priorities.

Typical compact elements include:

• Service package definition (what essential services will be covered)
• Financing plan (domestic resource mobilization, reallocation, donor support)
• Health workforce roadmap
• Supply chain and procurement reforms
• Monitoring, data and transparency commitments

For low-income countries the priority is often to expand primary health care, strengthen community health workers, and ensure financial protection for the poorest households. For middle-income countries, reforms usually focus on pooling fragmented funds and improving purchasing arrangements for efficiency.

Part 6 — Civil society, community voice, and accountability

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) urged that Health Works and the Knowledge Hub must ensure meaningful participation from communities — not token consultation. CSOs emphasized:

• Transparency of compact negotiations and public availability of draft compacts
• Inclusion of marginalized groups (women, refugees, disabled persons)
• Independent monitoring mechanisms and citizen scorecards

Without community participation, reforms risk cutting services that poor people rely on, or creating coverage that looks good on paper but fails in practice. The Forum included civil society sessions to amplify these points. 7

Part 7 — Implications for Pakistan & South Asia (practical pathway)

Why Pakistan should care: Pakistan has persistent inequities in access to basic services, maternal and child health gaps, and regional variations in health outcomes. The UHC Forum’s emphasis on primary health care, health financing capacity, and National Health Compacts is directly relevant to Pakistan’s policy agenda.

Practical steps Pakistan could take (aligned with Forum guidance)

1. Develop a National Health Compact that includes Ministry of Finance sign-off, with clear targets for expansion of PHC and financial protection.
2. Adopt a PHC-first budgeting approach — ringfence funds for community health worker programs and essential medicines.
3. Strengthen public financial management for health: transparent procurement, consolidated health funds, and digital financial tracking.
4. Invest in data systems to monitor service coverage and financial protection — use data to target the poorest districts.
5. Engage civil society and provincial governments in compact design so the plan reflects on-ground realities across provinces.

These actions would align Pakistan with the technical support offered through the UHC Knowledge Hub and open pathways to technical assistance and concessional financing under initiatives like Health Works. 8

Part 8 — Barriers, risks and the role of the private sector

Major barriers to UHC progress include constrained fiscal space, weak governance, workforce shortages, and supply-chain weaknesses. Two risks were emphasized at the Forum:

• Fragmented funding: Multiple parallel donor and insurance schemes make it hard to pool funds efficiently.
• Unequal access within countries: Urban elites may capture services while rural and marginalized groups remain excluded.

The private sector can be a partner — in service delivery, supply chain logistics, and digital health — but private participation must be regulated to ensure equity and quality. Public-private partnerships (PPP) should be transparent, measured, and aligned to the public good rather than short-term profit. The Forum included panels on how to harness private sector investment responsibly. 9

Part 9 — Recommendations: 12 actionable steps (for governments, donors & civil society)

Below are practical, prioritized steps distilled from Forum discussions and the UHC Global Monitoring Report:

1. Adopt a National Health Compact: Establish clear, time-bound commitments with measurable indicators.
2. Prioritize primary health care (PHC): Ensure budgets protect frontline services and community health workers.
3. Mobilize domestic resources: Strengthen tax administration, earmark health spending where politically possible, and reallocate inefficient subsidies.
4. Improve pooling and purchasing: Combine fragmented funds and use strategic purchasing to reward value and outcomes.
5. Strengthen health workforce planning: Scale training, define career paths, and incentivize rural deployment.
6. Transparency & anti-corruption: Open procurement, digital drug tracking, and citizen budget monitoring.
7. Data systems: Invest in interoperable health information systems and regular household surveys to track financial protection.
8. Engage civil society: Guarantee CSO representation in compact monitoring committees.
9. Climate resilience: Build climate-proof health infrastructure and supply chains.
10. Target the poorest: Use social registries and targeted subsidies to remove barriers for the most deprived.
11. Leverage digital tools: For telemedicine, supply chain management and digital payments for frontline cadres.
12. Align donors & multilateral partners: Coordinate support around country compacts to reduce fragmentation.

These steps provide a pragmatic roadmap that countries — with tailored sequencing — can implement. The UHC Knowledge Hub is positioned to provide technical packages for many of these actions. 10

Part 10 — FAQ, myths, and the final call to action

FAQ (frequently asked questions)

Q: What is the UHC Knowledge Hub and who can use it?

A: The UHC Knowledge Hub is a WHO–World Bank capacity platform providing technical assistance, training modules, and peer learning for Ministries of Health and Finance. It is designed to support countries in designing and implementing health financing reforms and compacts. 11

Q: What is the “Health Works” initiative?

A: Health Works — championed by the World Bank — aims to expand quality, affordable services to 1.5 billion people by 2030 through country-led compacts and targeted investments that link health and economic development. 12

Q: Will the Forum give money to countries?

A: The Forum itself is a convening — it catalyzes commitments and instruments that can unlock financing. Actual funds come from multilateral lenders, bilateral donors, and domestic budgets. A compact improves the chance of financing by showing a clear implementation plan.

Common myths & facts

Myth: UHC is “free healthcare for all” at any cost.
Fact: UHC means access to essential quality services with financial protection. It requires prioritization, efficient use of resources, and tough policy choices.

Scam & Misinformation Note

Be cautious: Following major forums, fake funding offers and “consulting” schemes may surface on social platforms. Always verify offers against official WHO or World Bank channels and do not share financial details or pay to access “priority” slots. Official resources and livestreams are available via WHO and World Bank pages. 13

Final call to action for readers

If you are a health practitioner, policy official, or civil society actor: press your government to publish a National Health Compact, demand transparency in negotiations, and participate in monitoring. If you are a citizen: ask your local representatives how they plan to protect access to primary health services and what safeguards exist to prevent financial hardship when accessing care.

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Further reading and official sources

• WHO — UHC High-Level Forum 2025. 14
• World Bank — Health Works & UHC Forum page. 15
• CSEM — Civil society statements on the UHC Forum. 16

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Sources: WHO, World Bank, UHC2030, Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM). Livestream: official event link and World Bank Live. 17

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