Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda announced the launch of Universal Health Coverage Practitioners and Experts Knowledge Exchange and Resources (UHC PEERS). The announcement was made during ADB’s INSPIRE Health Forum (INclusive, Sustainable, Prosperous, and REsilient Health Systems in Asia and the Pacific).
What is UHC PEERS?
- It is a regional peer-to-peer learning network aimed at accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across Asia and the Pacific.
- Designed to fill the gap in regional health cooperation by enabling knowledge sharing and policy learning among developing member countries.
Objectives & Features
- Platform for sharing solutions related to:
- Health financing reforms
- Service delivery innovations
- Expansion of health coverage
- Integration of private healthcare providers
- Reaching remote and underserved populations
- Sustainable healthcare financing
- Will complement the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo by supporting country-specific adaptations of successful health models.
Significance
- Over 1 billion people in Asia-Pacific lack access to basic healthcare services.
- Millions are pushed into poverty due to healthcare costs.
- UHC PEERS promotes resilient, inclusive, and affordable health systems to achieve SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being).
About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- It is a regional development bank established in 1966 to promote economic and social progress in the Asia-Pacific region.
- It provides loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to its developing member countries to help them reduce poverty and improve their people’s quality of life.
- Mission: To reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for people in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Focus Areas: It works in various sectors, including agriculture and natural resources, capacity development, climate change, education, energy, and finance sector development.
- Members: It has 68 members, including 49 from the Asia and Pacific region and 19 from outside.
- Governance: The highest policy-making body is the Board of Governors, composed of representatives from each member country.
- Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
- Operations: ADB provides financial and technical assistance to governments for development projects, and does not lend directly to individuals.