The World Bank Group, the Government of Japan, and the World Health Organization officially launched the Health Works Leaders Coalition. This global alliance brings together health and finance ministers, philanthropic organizations, business leaders, leaders of global health agencies, and civil society representatives with the aim of promoting investments in health systems as a strategy for economic growth, job creation, and improved resilience.The Leaders Coalition is central to Health Works, a broader, global initiative led by the World Bank Group and partners to help countries reach 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030.The Coalition aims to mobilize domestic and international investments, catalyse reform, and align partners behind scalable, government-led priorities. The Coalition is not a funding mechanism, but rather a coordinated effort to drive bold, high-impact action on health reform globally. During the inaugural meeting, held during the World Bank Group Annual Meetings, it was announced that an initial group of 21 countries will develop National Health Compacts – government-led agreements that will lay out bold reforms, investment priorities, shared accountability and unlock resources for expanding access to quality, affordable health care.Reform priorities range from free health checkups and expansion of health insurance in Indonesia to developing a pharmaceutical strategy in Mexico aimed at creating 60 000 jobs through private sector partnerships.The first compacts, representing a range of income levels and geographic regions, are scheduled for formal launch at the UHC High-Level Forum in Tokyo in December 2025.The Government of Japan also announced the first group of eight countries participating in the inaugural programme of the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo – a new platform designed to support national policy-makers from developing countries through capacity-building and knowledge sharing.“Strengthening health systems in developing countries depends on cultivating health financing expertise within both health and finance ministries,” said Atsushi Mimura, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Finance. “Through targeted training programmes, the UHC Knowledge Hub will share Japan’s experience to build institutional capacity and support tangible reforms in health financing.”“Sharp cuts in overseas aid are impacting health services in many nations,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “But affected countries are rising to the challenge, shifting from heavy reliance on overseas assistance to greater ownership over their health systems and futures. We must support countries to mobilize domestic resources for their health systems, especially for primary care services, and to protect the poorest from financial hardship by reducing out-of-pocket spending.”“Our goal is ambitious: to help countries deliver quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. No single institution, government, or philanthropist can achieve that alone,” said Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President. “But with aligned purpose and shared effort, it is possible. If we get this right, we can make real impact – improving health, transforming lives, strengthening economies – and creating jobs. This effort is as much an ingredient of our jobs agenda as it is a health initiative.” Health Work Leaders Coalition Members:EgyptEthiopiaGAVI, The Vaccine AllianceIndonesiaKenyaNigeriaPhilippinesSeed Global HealthSierra LeoneSaint LuciaThe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaThe Susan Thompson Buffett FoundationUnited KingdomWACI HealthWellcome TrustNational Health Compact Countries: ·         Bangladesh·         Cambodia·         Cote D’Ivoire·         Egypt·         Ethiopia·         Fiji·         India ·         Indonesia·         Kenya·         Mexico·         Morocco·         Nigeria·         Philippines·         Saint Lucia  ·         Sierra Leone·         Syria·         Tajikistan·         Tanzania·         Uganda·         Uzbekistan·         Zambia  Initial UHC Knowledge Hub Countries:Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU) announced today a new agreement to support the digital transformation of health systems and wider adoption of WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) in sub-Saharan Africa. This EU–WHO partnership will improve pandemic preparedness and accelerate progress towards better health and well-being for all.

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with key partners and supporters, launched version 2.0 of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, used globally for the early detection of public health threats.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today warns that less than one in three countries around the world has a national policy to address the growing burden of neurological disorders, responsible for over 11 million deaths globally each year. The WHO’s new Global status report on neurology released today shows that neurological conditions now affect more than 40% of the global population – over 3 billion people.

In a landmark public health achievement, the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B, while maintaining its earlier validation (in 2019) for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis.