“I regard universal health coverage as the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer. It is inclusive. It unifies services and delivers them in a comprehensive and integrated way, based on primary health care.” Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General 21 February 2013, Geneva – High-level officials from ministries of health and finance of 27 countries joined other health and development stakeholders at a two-day meeting this week in Geneva to discuss ways for countries to progress towards achieving universal health coverage. The meeting was convened jointly by WHO and the World Bank and took place just weeks after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting universal health coverage.
The importance of health workforce development, service delivery, health information systems, governance and financing in advancing progress towards achieving universal health coverage and delivering on the promise of high-quality, efficient health services was the theme of a round table session chaired by Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, facilitated by Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Health of Thailand.
During the meeting, the Minister of Health of Morocco shared his country's experience of RAMED, a health insurance scheme based on the principles of national solidarity and social assistance for economically deprived and vulnerable populations. RAMED (or Regime d’Assistance Medicale) is a publicly financed fund to cover services for the poor. It was piloted in 2008 and since 2011 is being scaled up across the country. Once fully implemented, it is expected that RAMED will cover around 8.5 million individuals, constituting around 28% of the Moroccan population.
Related links
Read the statement on the ministerial meeting
Find out more about universal health coverage
Director-General’s speech on universal health coverage
