The Coalition of Health Care Managers was launched to promote investment in the health care system and encourage economic growth and job creation

The World Bank Group, the Government of Japan and the World Health Organization have officially launched Coalition of health workers. This global alliance brings together health and finance ministers, philanthropic organizations, business leaders, global health agency leaders and civil society representatives to promote investment in health systems as a strategy for economic growth, job creation and improved resilience.

A coalition of leaders is key to Health Worksa broader, global initiative led by the World Bank Group and partners help countries reach 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030.

The goal of the Coalition is to mobilize domestic and international investment, encourage reform and align partners behind scalable government-led priorities. The coalition is not a funding mechanism, but a coordinated effort to encourage bold, high-impact action on global health reform. During the inaugural meeting, held during the annual meetings of the World Bank Group, it was announced that an initial group of 21 countries will develop national health agreements – government-led agreements that will set bold reforms, investment priorities, shared responsibility and unlock resources to expand access to quality, affordable health care.

Reform priorities range from free health screenings and the expansion of health insurance in Indonesia to the development of a pharmaceutical strategy in Mexico that aims to create 60,000 jobs through partnerships with the private sector.

The first contracts, representing a range of income levels and geographic regions, are planned for official presentation at 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 UHC Knowledge Hub program 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 expertise in health financing within the ministries of health and finance,” said Atsushi Mimura, deputy finance minister for international affairs at the Japanese Ministry of Finance. “Through targeted training programs, the UHC Knowledge Hub will share Japan's experience in building institutional capacity and support tangible reforms in health financing.”

“Harsh cuts in foreign aid are affecting health services in many countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general. “But affected countries face a challenge, moving from heavy reliance on foreign aid to greater ownership of their health systems and futures. We need to support countries to mobilize domestic resources for their health systems, especially for primary health care services, and to protect the poorest from financial hardship by reducing out-of-pocket spending.”

“Our goal is ambitious: to help countries provide quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. No single institution, government or philanthropist can achieve this alone,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group. “But with concerted purpose and concerted effort, it is possible. If we get this right, we can make a real impact – improve health, transform lives, strengthen economies – and create jobs. This effort is as much an ingredient of our jobs agenda as the health initiative.”

Members of the coalition of healthcare managers:

• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• GAVI, Alliance for Vaccines
• Indonesia
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Philippines
• Global Seed Health
• Sierra Leone
• Saint Lucia
• Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
• Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
• Great Britain
• RATIN
• Welcome trust

States of the National Health Agreement:

Starting countries of the UHC Knowledge Center:

Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines