At the Tokyo Universal Health Coverage High-Level Forum, countries and partners reported renewed momentum toward the World Bank Group goal set in April 2024 to deliver affordable, quality health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030.
Fifteen countries unveiled National Health Compacts that map practical five-year reforms to expand primary care, improve affordability, and support job-rich economic growth. These country-led roadmaps align Health and Finance Ministries behind measurable targets and channel coordinated support from development partners.
Since the goal was announced, the World Bank Group and partners have helped reach 375 million people with quality, affordable care, and work is now underway with roughly 45 countries to scale proven primary care approaches that strengthen health outcomes while generating employment across health workforces, local supply chains and supporting industries.
The 2025 Global Monitoring Report presented in Tokyo highlights the scale of the challenge: 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health services and 2.1 billion face financial hardship from health expenses, underscoring the need for long-term, coordinated reforms to build resilient and equitable systems.
‘Strong primary health systems do more than safeguard health—they support jobs and economic opportunity,’ said Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President, pointing to how aligned efforts can amplify impact when they scale what works.
The National Health Compacts prioritize expanding the reach and quality of primary care, improving financial protection, and strengthening the health workforce. Countries committed to mobilizing new financing, growing and digitally enabling their health workforce, modernizing facilities, expanding insurance coverage, and using digital tools to improve service delivery.
Examples of country actions include the Philippines digitally connecting health facilities nationwide, Uzbekistan digitizing processes to reduce workloads by 30 percent, and Sierra Leone aiming for every citizen to access quality primary care within five kilometres by building 300 new facilities and equipping 1,800 with solar power and digital connectivity. Bangladesh is expanding multi-platform primary care models with updated regulation and digital tools, while Indonesia is scaling telemedicine to connect more than 600 facilities to hospitals. Ethiopia will equip at least 40 percent of primary health centres with digital tools, and Saint Lucia is investing in a skilled, digitally enabled workforce through regional cooperation. Kenya plans to double public health spending to reach 5 percent of GDP and expand social health insurance coverage from 26 percent to 85 percent with full subsidies for vulnerable populations, and Morocco will extend mandatory health insurance to an additional 22 million people. Nigeria will train 10,000 pharmaceutical and biotech professionals, create Centers of Excellence and offer tax incentives to boost regional manufacturing of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and health technologies.
Support for these reforms is being coordinated across partners. The World Bank Group, Gavi and the Global Fund announced aligned financing, including $2 billion of co-financing with each institution, and philanthropic partners are mobilising up to $410 million through vehicles such as the Global Financing Facility and the Health Systems Transformation and Resilience Fund. Seed Global Health is working with compact countries to build capacity for advanced workforce development, while technical assistance from long-standing supporters like Japan and the United Kingdom is helping countries implement reforms. To strengthen knowledge sharing, Japan, WHO and the World Bank Group launched the Universal Health Coverage Knowledge Hub to provide practical, evidence-based solutions and peer learning.
For Pakistani policymakers and health leaders, the National Health Compacts offer practical lessons on scaling primary care, digitally enabling workforces, expanding financial protection and strengthening local production. Adapting proven models and aligning finance and health sector priorities could help Pakistan accelerate access and create sustainable health sector jobs.
The momentum from Tokyo shows how coordinated country-led reforms, backed by aligned financing and shared technical knowledge, can drive primary care expansion while supporting jobs and economic opportunity as countries move toward the 2030 goal.
