The Advance UHC Multi-Donor Trust Fund

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Investing in Health to Build Human Capital and Expand Job Opportunities in ...

For East Asia and Pacific nations, access to health care is crucial for unlocking human potential, expanding job opportunities and creating thriving, resilient communities. The region faces significant health challenges including a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and persistent communicable diseases. Geographical barriers and health inequities are affecting vulnerable groups, especially women and children in hard-to-reach communities. However, investments in health systems have helped to improve access to essential health services for many. Women and children now routinely benefit from maternal care and life-saving immunizations. Individuals living with NCDs are accessing better-equipped health facilities, where modern technologies allow for more accurate assessments and ...

The big squeeze on health care—how shifting demographics and geographical ...

Demographic shifts—rapidly aging populations, falling birth rates, swift urbanization—along with an increasing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden are pushing our health systems to focus on chronic disease management and long-term elderly care. Furthermore, the diverse geographies of many countries exacerbate the disparities in health status, access, and outcomes between different locations, such as urban versus rural areas. These problems are particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), whose populations risk “growing old before becoming rich” while working to establish universal health coverage (UHC). For them, the main challenge is delivering an equitable health service to all and sustainable financing to fund resilient health systems that won’t collapse under their ...

The Advance UHC Multi-Donor Trust Fund

The fund supports policy-relevant analytical work, targeted in-country technical assistance, and global/regional knowledge sharing activities. It also co-finances health system strengthening interventions and all work to support countries' advance toward UHC.

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VIDEO Aug 28, 2025

Improving public health through women's leadership in Samoa

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for more than 75% of the disease burden in Samoa—and the figure has been increasing, creating challenges for communities, the healthcare system, and the economy. To tackle the problem, the government developed a whole-of-country approach to improve the prevention, management, and control of NCDs. Its focus has been on decentralizing health resources, strengthening outreach services, and empowering community development by implementing a package of NCD interventions known as PEN Fa’a Samoa—led by local women's committees.

Advance UHC Newsletter, February 2026

Timor-Leste: health financing to advance UHC

The key to advancing towards universal health coverage for most lower-middle income countries is often health financing. To realize this, Timor-Leste and the World Bank organized the Health Financing for UHC in Timor-Leste: A Learning and Sharing Forum in Dili.