Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) co-hosted a roundtable with UHC2030, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), and the Global Health Civil Society Network (GH-Net). The discussion focused on advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the Asia–Pacific region and Japan, particularly on strengthening financial risk protection to safeguard people from the economic hardship caused by out-of-pocket health expenditures.

Across the Asia–Pacific region, more than one billion people still lack access to essential health services, and out-of-pocket payments remain a major driver of impoverishment. In response to these challenges, ADB announced the establishment of a new peer-learning network, the Universal Health Coverage Practitioners and Experts Knowledge Exchange and Resources (UHC PEERS). This network is expected to work in close collaboration with the UHC Knowledge Hub in Tokyo, which was officially launched at the UHC High-Level Forum on December 6, to further support high-quality policy development.

Guided by this year’s International UHC Day theme, “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!”, the roundtable connected international trends with Japan’s domestic policy discussions. Participants engaged in a multifaceted dialogue on issues including the review of Japan’s High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit system and the importance of financial protection for vulnerable populations. Experts from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines, Guinea-Bissau, and other countries contributed their perspectives, offering practical insights to advance UHC globally and within Japan.
This event not only facilitated the exchange of knowledge but also provided a valuable platform to advance domestic and international dialogue with civil society and a broad spectrum of stakeholders, building on the momentum of UHC Day and the UHC High-Level Forum.

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Friday, December 5, 2025, 14:30-16:30 JST
• Format: In-person
• Venue: Global Business Hub Tokyo, 3F, Otemachi Financial City Grand Cube, 1-9-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
• Language: English & Japanese (Simultaneous interpretation provided via Notta AI-assisted real-time transcription)
• Co-hosts:
  – UHC2030
  – Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  – Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
  – Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM)
  – Global Health Civil Society Network (GH Network)

■ Speakers (title omitted, in no specific order)

Pamela Cipriano (Co-chair, UHC2030, Steering Committee)
Magda Robalo (Co-chair, UHC2030, Steering Committee)
Eduardo Banzon (Director for Health, Human and Social Development, ADB)
Akihito Watabe (Health Specialist, Human and Social Development, ADB)
Justin Koonin (President, ACON / Former UHC Political Advisor / Distinguished Fellow, The George Institute for Global Health)
Robert Yates (Visiting Professor in Practice, LSE Health)
Waiswa Nkwanga (Management Sciences for Health (MSH) / CSEM Secretariat)
Masaki Inaba (Co-Representative & Director of International Health Division, Africa Japan Forum (AJF) / Representative, Global Health Civil Society Network (GH Network) / Former CSEM Advisory Committee Member)
Akiko Mera (Executive Director, Médecins du Monde Japan / Global Health Civil Society Network (GH Network) / Former CSEM Advisory Committee Member)
Kyoko Ama (Founder, Children & Healthcare Initiative / Fellow, HGPI)
Junichi Kawata (Vice President, The Association of CML patients & families「IZUMI」/ Project Researcher, Public Policy Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo)
Masanori Okuse (Representative Director, Japanese Association for Psoriatic Disease)
Satoshi Maemura (Senior Staff Writer, Nikkei Inc.)
Joji Sugawara (Vice President, HGPI / Advisory Committee Member, CSEM)