Abe stresses funding needs for Universal Health Coverage

September 24, 2019

New York--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasized in a speech on Monday the need to secure financial resources to realize the universal health coverage (UHC) initiative to guarantee all people access to basic health and medical services.

Abe, who is visiting New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly session, said in the speech at a meeting on the UHC initiative, "Stable funding and appropriate budget allocations are essential (for countries) to provide the most vulnerable people with high-quality services."

He stressed that the government of each country should work as one to promote efforts on the initiative by finance and health authorities cooperating with one another.

Looking back at his country's reconstruction from World War II, Abe said, "Japan overcame chaos and poverty to introduce a health insurance system that covers all of its citizens in 1961, thus achieving the UHC."

The universal healthcare system "supported Japan's attainment of socioeconomic development and a society of health and longevity," he added.

Noting that around half of the world's population still do not have access to basic health care services, Abe said that he strongly seeks the realization of UHC systems throughout the world.

To support aid recipient countries, the prime minister indicated that Japan will cooperate with the private sector to develop human resources and improve health insurance coverage. Jiji Press