Health and Medical Care
Foreign Minister IWAYA’s attendance at the Ministerial Meeting of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Friends Group
On September 26, commencing at 8:15 a.m. local time (September 26, 9:15 p.m., JST) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, during his visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, attended the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Friends Group Ministerial Meeting and delivered opening remarks. The overview is as follows.
In addition to Minister IWAYA, the meeting was attended by Mr. Lasha Darsalia, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, and Ms. Pinsuda Jayanam, Director-General of the Department of International Organization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, who served as Co-Chairs of the UHC Friends Group. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), also attended.
- Minister IWAYA noted that, in recent years, the circumstances surrounding global health and other issues have become extremely severe. He mentioned that the threats posed by the three major infectious diseases—HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria—remain dire, while at the same time, emerging infectious diseases and the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing. He stated that the Government of Japan positions global health as one of the main pillars of its diplomacy and it has consistently promoted efforts to achieve UHC in order to realize “Human Security” and protect the lives and dignity of every individual.
- Minister IWAYA also mentioned that, to build resilient health systems, Japan has been supporting the development and networking of core medical facilities in Southeast Asia and Africa. Regarding strengthening health financing, he pointed out that, in low- and middle-income countries in particular, it is crucial to reduce dependence on financial assistance from donors and to maximize the use of domestic resources. Minister IWAYA stated that, to address these challenges, the Government of Japan is promoting the “UHC Knowledge Hub” in collaboration with WHO and the World Bank, and will continue to contribute to global health.
- Participants shared recognition of the need to maintain and strengthen the momentum for UHC advancement, building on progress to date, and of the importance to accelerate efforts towards the achievement of UHC.
(Reference1)
Universal Health Coverage (UHC): To ensure that all people can receive the quality health services they need at an affordable cost without financial hardship.
(Reference2)
UHC Friends Group: The Group of Friends of UHC was established in December 2018, facilitated by Japan. It serves as an informal platform for UN Member States to build momentum towards achieving UHC by 2030 worldwide as stated in the Sustainable Development Goals and by UN High-Level Meeting on UHC.
(Reference3)
Opening Remarks by Foreign Minister IWAYA (Japanese (PDF) 
/ English (PDF) )