Realising the right to health requires political will and leadership

We welcome the Indonesian G20 Presidency’s efforts “to strengthen global health resilience and help make a global health system more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to crises.” As Co-chairs of UHC2030, a global movement to build stronger health systems for universal health coverage (UHC), we advocate for both UHC and health security as two intertwined goals to protect everyone, everywhere, that we achieve through the same health system with focus on primary health care - in crisis and calm.

We welcome the G20 Communiqué and in particular its emphasis on strengthening resilient health systems. We also welcome the important discussions of the G20 Health Working Group, and G20 Joint-Finance and Health Task Force, and Ministerial Meetings held under the Indonesian Presidency in this regard.

As India takes over the G20 Presidency on 1 December 2022, we call on all G20 members to make health for all a reality, for everyone, everywhere. As further discussions on the global health architecture to address pandemic preparedness will be needed, it will be important to look into measure that ensures meaningful participation of communities in relevant government processes and address gender equality and the rights of underserved groups, in particular women and girls. The 2023 High-Level Meeting on UHC provides countries and all stakeholders an opportunity to reinvigorate progress towards UHC, with action-oriented outcomes to strengthen health systems which provide the basis for implementation and accountability, building on the 2019 Political Declaration.

-Gabriela Cuevas and Justin Koonin, Co-chairs of UHC2030 Steering Committee