Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched Universal Health Coverage Practitioners and Experts Knowledge Exchange and Resources (UHC PEERS), a regional peer-to-peer learning network to accelerate universal health coverage across Asia and the Pacific.
ADB president Masato Kanda launching the UHC PEERS during ADB’s INclusive, Sustainable, Prosperous, and REsilient (INSPIRE) Health Systems in Asia and the Pacific Health Forum said it brings together more than 25 developing member countries.
Mr Kanda said, “Achieving universal health coverage is not something that we can delay further, and it is within our reach if we work together to build a region where everyone, everywhere, has access to the care they need, without financial hardship. Universal health coverage lies at the heart of resilient, sustainable, and inclusive development.”
According to a media release by the ADB the UHC PEERS network addresses a gap in regional health cooperation by providing a platform for countries to share solutions for extending coverage to underserved populations.
More than 1bn people across Asia and the Pacific still lack access to basic health services, with millions pushed into poverty due to healthcare costs.
UHC PEERS will complement the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo and enable countries to learn from health financing reforms, service delivery innovations, and coverage expansion. The network will facilitate exchanges on reaching remote populations, integrating private sector providers, and developing sustainable financing. Through peer learning, countries can adapt successful approaches while avoiding common pitfalls.
The launch reflects growing regional consensus on UHC as a development priority, as health systems face pressures from ageing populations, rising noncommunicable diseases, and persistent infectious diseases.