The Government of Japan, jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group, is convening a High-level Forum on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Tokyo, Japan on 6 December 2025.
The Forum will provide a platform for senior officials from Ministries of Health and Finance, international organizations, and development partners to engage in a strategic dialogue on advancing UHC through strengthened collaboration and innovative approaches to health financing and systems reform.
In addition, the Forum will celebrate the official launch of the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo, established by WHO and the World Bank Group with the support of the Government of Japan. The hub offers capacity strengthening programmes for leaders of Ministries of Health and Finance to support health financing reforms.
During the Forum the UHC global monitoring report 2025, a joint publication of WHO and the World Bank, will be presented and several country leaders will announce their National Health Compacts.
Planned participants
- Ministers of Finance and Health of low- and middle-income countries
- Representatives of international organizations
- Representatives of public-private partnerships
- Representatives of philanthropic organizations, civil society, and the private sector
Tentative programme
- High-level discussion
- Launch ceremony of the UHC Knowledge Hub
- Release of the UHC Global monitoring report 2025
- Announcement of National Health Compacts
- Panel discussions
Livestream
A livestream of the open session of the Forum will be made available.
Organized by:
Government of Japan | World Bank Group | World Health Organization
About the UHC Knowledge Hub:
The UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo is a new initiative designed to support national senior officials in both Ministries of Health and Finance from low and lower-middle-income countries. Through capacity-building and knowledge sharing grounded in data and evidence, the UHC Knowledge Hub supports high-level officials in improving the equity, alignment, and effectiveness of domestic and international health financing in their countries.
It is a collaborative initiative supported by the Government of Japan and established by WHO and the World Bank Group to support countries in accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Key Activities of the UHC Knowledge Hub
- Training and capacity building and peer-to-peer learning
The Hub delivers practitioner-focused, competency-based learning opportunities and promotes peer-to-peer learning. These efforts aim to strengthen capacity in health financing, public financial management, and implementation of reforms in support of UHC. The first in-person co-design workshop took place in October 2025 to be followed by the first UHC Leadership programme in February 2026 in Tokyo. - Advocacy and convening
To accelerate progress towards UHC, the Hub organizes high-level events and policy dialogues that bring together key partners and governments. These convenings aim to build momentum and promote coordination around innovative and effective solution-driven health financing reform strategies.