The scientific sessions of the Ministerial Meeting "The Road to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the Eastern-Mediterranean Region (EMR)", which hosted by the Sultanate, commenced today (Tuesday) at Salalah Rotana Resort.

Within the Meeting, a UHC2030 Global Compact for progress towards universal health coverage ‘International Health Partnership’ was signed by all the Health Ministers.

This global compact reflects our firms support for the aims of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and is consistent with the ambition and commitment of other inter-governmental agreements, as well as the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which aims to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity. 

The UHC2030 Compact reaffirm the SDGs set a broad and ambitious agenda for a safer, fairer and healthier world 2030. To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, universal health coverage must be achieved by working together effectively to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes in all countries. Progressive pathways towards universality that endeavor to first reach the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups are key to ensure no one is left behind.

UHC, whereby all people and communities have access to needed quality health services without risk of financial hardship contributes to promoting health security and equity. Countries that progress towards UHC will make progress towards the other health-related targets across different sectors, and towards all the SDGs.

The compact also call for the adoption of a ‘one health’ and inter-sectoral approach to emergency preparedness and response as part of health systems strengthening, and for national strategies, plans and service delivery models that reflect relevant international principles and commitments, in particular the International Health Regulations.

Therefore, the Compact call the signatory States to collectively commit key principles including leaving no one behind: a commitment to equity, non-discrimination and a rights-based approach, transparency and accountability for results, evidence-based national health strategies and leadership, with government stewardship to ensure availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of service delivery, making health systems everybody’s business- with engagement of citizens, communities, civil society and private sectors, as well as international cooperation based on mutual learning across countries regardless of development status and progress in achieving and sustaining UHC, and development effectiveness principles.

The Meeting, which organized by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Eastern Mediterranean in cooperation and collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), gathers (22) EMR countries represented by the ministers of health, number of high-level officials from the financial and parliament sectors, consultants, advisors and expert. In addition to senior health leaders, policymakers, national health systems officials in the EMR countries along with local, regional and international participants.

The sessions addressed today the right to health, human capabilities and health justice, macroeconomic policy and health financing for achieving the UHC. Furthermore, it will discuss defining and delivering the Universal Health Coverage priority benefit package, addressing the health services for mother & children, non-communicable and communicable diseases in the context of UHC. In addition to a high-level discussion on the national experiences in the Eastern-Mediterranean Region.

It is worth mentioning that the Meeting aims to take stock of the regional situation, share successful international and regional experiences in advancement towards UHC with regional leaders and policymakers responsible for national health systems.