The UHC Accelerator

Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.

The UHC Accelerator was established with the mission of supporting and convening national political champions to accelerate UHC reforms.

We aim to:

• Provide mentorship for implementers and change-makers at the national level;
• Contribute to the generation and use of rigorous, high-quality research on UHC;
• Create safe and trusted spaces for open, provocative dialogue that can directly drive policy form and programme design.

The UHC Accelerator complements other global initiatives by connecting experienced UHC reformers with people who have the power and authority in their countries to accelerate UHC - bringing together those driving health systems reforms with those who have already done so.

Why a UHC Accelerator?

Progress toward universal health coverage is stalling. Escalating geopolitical tensions are a threat to progress on UHC, with many governments reallocating funds from health to security and defence, reducing international aid and jeopardising international and multilateral cooperation. At the same time, there is a growing push for self-reliance and health sovereignty across the Global South.

We need to refocus attention on UHC and the core tenets of Primary Health Care as pathways to greater national sustainability, resilience, and equity.

Recent global dialogues have highlighted both the urgency of honest, politically grounded problem-solving and the need for an ongoing, trusted space to confront the real barriers to reform. The UHC Accelerator responds to this moment: it offers a way to sustain momentum, bridge the gap between global ambition and national action, and continue critical work that would otherwise lose traction.