Countries are making progress toward the World Bank Group’s goal of providing affordable, quality health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. This update comes as 15 countries introduced National Health Compacts at the Tokyo Universal Health Coverage High-Level Forum on December 6, 2025. These five-year plans aim to expand primary health care, improve affordability, and promote economic growth through job creation.
Since April 2024, when the goal was set, efforts by the World Bank Group and its partners have reached 375 million people with improved health services. The organization is now working with about 45 countries to further scale up proven primary care models that can strengthen health outcomes and create jobs in various sectors.
Governments continue to face challenges such as aging populations, rising rates of chronic diseases, and financial constraints. According to the newly released 2025 Global Monitoring Report presented at the forum, an estimated 4.6 billion people lack access to essential health services globally, while about 2.1 billion face financial hardship due to healthcare expenses. These figures highlight the need for long-term reforms aimed at building more resilient and equitable health systems.
“Strong primary health systems do more than safeguard health—they support jobs and economic opportunity,” said Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President.“Countries are stepping forward with clear priorities, and we are working alongside them to deliver practical solutions at scale. When efforts align behind what works, impact grows.”
The National Health Compacts were endorsed at high levels of government in each participating country. They outline specific targets and strategies for expanding primary care coverage, improving financial protection for patients, and strengthening healthcare workforces.
Examples from participating countries include digitalizing facilities in Uzbekistan to reduce workloads by 30%, constructing new solar-powered clinics in Sierra Leone so all citizens can access care within five kilometers of their homes, expanding telemedicine connections between clinics and hospitals in Indonesia, investing in digital workforce tools in Ethiopia and Saint Lucia, doubling public spending on healthcare in Kenya while increasing insurance coverage for vulnerable groups from 26% to 85%, extending mandatory insurance coverage for an additional 22 million people in Morocco, and training pharmaceutical professionals while incentivizing local production of medicines in Nigeria.
To support these reforms financially and technically:
- The World Bank Group announced aligned financing with Gavi and the Global Fund totaling $2 billion.
- Philanthropic partners are mobilizing up to $410 million through global funds focused on critical areas.
- Seed Global Health is helping countries develop advanced workforce capacity.
- Japan—alongside the United Kingdom—is providing technical assistance for reform implementation.
- Japan also joined WHO and the World Bank Group in launching a Universal Health Coverage Knowledge Hub aimed at supporting knowledge sharing among nations.
The forum brought together ministers from both finance and health sectors along with leaders from business communities, philanthropic organizations, global agencies specializing in public health issues like WHO (World Health Organization), civil society representatives—and other development partners.
The following countries launched National Health Compacts: Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Syria,Tajikistan,Uganda ,Uzbekistan ,and Zambia.