Accelerating universal health coverage for a more…

The 2027 HLM on UHC provides an important opportunity to accelerate action during the final years of the SDG implementation period, and to firmly embed this agenda within a global health governance and finance landscape undergoing profound change. This annual ministerial event will informally kick off preparations for the HLM by bringing together leaders to discuss how to improve the accessibility and affordability of health services through policies and systems that leave no one behind. Building on recent global commitments on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR), the meeting will highlight how investing in UHC and resilient health systems can strengthen countries' capacity to meet evolving health needs and withstand shocks. On the road to 2027, participants at this gathering will help shape a clear path forward to galvanizing political will and sustaining action on health for all through 2030 and beyond.

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Despite critical health gains over the past couple decades, global progress has slowed during the SDG era, leaving the world off track to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.

An estimated 4.6 billion people still lacked access to essential health services in 2023, while 2.1 billion people experienced financial hardship due to health spending in 2022.1
The 2025 ACT for UHC report found that persistent disparities in financing, service coverage, workforce capacity, and digital health continue to drive inequities both between and within countries. Current projections show gaps remaining substantial through 2030, with the UHC Service Coverage Index remaining below 80 and nearly 1 in 4 people worldwide still facing financial hardship from health-related costs. In this context,
the final push of the SDG era must reinforce that UHC is not only a health priority - it is a precondition, outcome, and indicator of broader sustainable development.