The HGPI report highlights the critical role of data in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health financing, emphasising the use of international databases for effective policy development and global comparison.
The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has published its latest policy column, “Toward Fair Health Systems: The Power of Data in Advancing UHC and Supporting Health Financing,” under its Global Health Strategy Project. The column emphasises that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is not only about expanding healthcare access but also about ensuring financial sustainability and social resilience.
Recognising the growing international focus on UHC, particularly following infectious disease outbreaks, HGPI notes Japan’s leadership in advancing UHC domestically and globally. Initiatives such as the upcoming UHC Knowledge Hub and Japan’s advocacy at the Hiroshima G7 Summit underline the critical role of sustainable health financing.
HGPI stresses that reliable, internationally comparable data is essential for visualising health financing systems and guiding policy. The column reviews key databases, including WHO’s Global Health Expenditure Database, the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population Statistics, OECD’s Health Expenditure Database, and IHME’s Development Assistance for Health Database, among others. Each resource offers distinct strengths for different stakeholders—from policymakers to researchers and civil society organisations.
Amid fiscal pressures and shifting donor priorities, HGPI warns that safeguarding UHC progress requires robust data use, innovative financing, and greater domestic resource mobilisation. The Institute calls for a stronger global commitment to building data systems as a “common language” for health policy, emphasising transparency, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration to create fairer, more resilient health systems worldwide.
