UHC Journey to Actions Workshop 2026
“Achieving More Health for the Money through Strategic Financial Management”
19–22 OCTOBER 2026 | BANGKOK, THAILAND
Background
Many countries have made substantial progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by expanding access to essential health services and strengthening financial protection. However, sustaining that progress is becoming increasingly difficult amid rising health needs, fiscal constraints, population aging, and escalating healthcare costs.
The central challenge is no longer simply how to expand coverage, but how to achieve better health outcomes, greater equity, and stronger financial protection with limited resources. Governments must make difficult choices on resource mobilization, budget prioritization, provider payment systems, benefit package design, and investments that offer the greatest value for population health.
Countries are therefore exploring approaches that can maximize value from limited resources: expanding fiscal space for health through health taxes, strengthening public financial management, advancing strategic purchasing and value-based healthcare, and reducing low-value care, waste, and inefficiency.
There is no single pathway to successful UHC reform. Countries must continually balance competing priorities while keeping health systems Sustainable, Adequate, Fair, and Efficient (S-A-F-E). Achieving this balance requires technical solutions, political commitment, good governance, social participation, and the capacity to translate policy commitments into action.
The UHC Journey to Actions Workshop will bring together policymakers, health financing practitioners, public health insurance professionals, researchers, and development partners from across Asia and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Through country experience sharing, policy dialogue, study visits, and Policy dialogue sessions, participants will exchange experiences and explore practical approaches to advancing Sustainable, Adequate, Fair, and Efficient (S-A-F-E) Universal Health Coverage through strategic financial management.
Objectives
Overall Objective
To provide a platform for policymakers and practitioners to exchange experiences, reflect on lessons learned, and explore practical approaches for advancing Sustainable, Adequate, Fair, and Efficient (S-A-F-E) Universal Health Coverage.
Specific Objectives
• To facilitate peer learning and policy dialogue on emerging UHC challenges, reform priorities, and positive and negative lessons from country implementation experiences.
• To exchange experiences on strategic financial management, including fiscal space for health, public financial management, strategic purchasing, value-based healthcare, and approaches to low-value care.
• To explore how governance, social participation, and accountability can support UHC implementation and improve health-system performance.
• To identify practical policy insights, common pitfalls, and actionable lessons that can inform future UHC reforms in participating countries.
Important document
Apply Here Concept Note & Draft Program
