Video Message by Prime Minister Takaichi for the UHC High-Level Forum 2025

Good morning, everyone. I am TAKAICHI Sanae, Prime Minister of Japan.

President Ajay Banga of the World Bank Group, Director-General Tedros Adhanom of the World Health Organization, Honourable Ministers of Finance and Ministers of Health, all esteemed guests, it is truly an honor to welcome you all here in Tokyo. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor TAKEMI Keizo and everyone involved whose dedicated efforts have made this Forum possible.

The Government of Japan has long been committed to advancing universal health coverage, UHC. To protect the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of every individual, and to achieve quality employment and sustainable economic growth supported by a healthy workforce, it is essential to achieve UHC and ensure that all people have access to quality health services at an affordable cost.

Since achieving universal health insurance coverage in 1961, Japan has ranked among the world’s highest in health standards, thanks to improved access to healthcare.

This achievement contributed to a rapid economic growth and social stability in Japan.

Japan has also actively shared its experience and expertise in health and medical care with the international community and supported the establishment of health systems in developing countries.

In 2017, Japan hosted an international conference on UHC here in Tokyo, where then-Prime Minister ABE Shinzo called for strengthening the momentum toward promoting UHC.

In 2019, Japan convened the first-ever joint session of G20 Finance and Health Ministers in Osaka, creating a new global trend of collaboration between financial and health authorities.

Together with the UN High-Level Meeting on UHC held in the same year, this marked an important step toward charting a path for achieving sustainable UHC.

Against this backdrop, it is highly significant that the UHC knowledge Hub is being officially launched here in Tokyo today, in collaboration with the World Bank and WHO.

I am confident that this Hub will serve as an international platform for supporting the development of sustainable health financing, by enhancing the capacity of finance and health officials in developing countries.

I warmly welcome the eight countries from Asia and Africa joining the training in its inaugural year and look forward to seeing many more countries engage in this initiative in the future.

As the host country, Japan will work closely with the World Bank, WHO, and other like-minded partners, to strongly support the activities of this Hub.

I hope this Forum will mark an important milestone in demonstrating our strong commitment to achieving UHC and in jointly shaping the future direction of global health beyond 2030.

Japan is determined to work hand in hand with all of you to build a future where everyone enjoys good health.

I offer my best wishes for the great success of this Forum, and I extend my sincere wishes for good health to all of you.

Thank you very much.