The World Bank and the Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF) are providing critical support to countries in the Caribbean in their ambitious journey to expand Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Countries in the Caribbean region are mid-way through this reform agenda. Given the disruption in progress toward UHC caused by COVID-19, Caribbean countries recognize the value of cooperatively identifying strategies to accelerate UHC expansion. United by the common development challenges of small (island) states, they are sharing their national experiences and discussing areas that can be better tackled as a Caribbean block.
To help support this process and accelerate UHC expansion (especially amid shocks and in the context of increasing health care costs), the Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF) and the World Bank contributed to the establishment of a platform for knowledge sharing and policy dialogue. Through this platform, in June 2023, government counterparts participated in a regional exchange—hosted by the World Bank in Washington—focused on sharing insights and experiences on UHC financing.
Participants included Caribbean policymakers from ministries of health and finance, experts and researchers from regional and global development partners, and represented the following countries: Korea, Belize, Costa Rica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
