PUTRAJAYA, July 22 (Bernama) -- Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage partners with Ministry of Health Malaysia and development partners to host the first Global Meeting here in Malaysia on building strong systems to achieve universal health coverage.

Underscoring the need to strengthen health systems around the globe to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), the Joint Learning Network (JLN) and the Ministry of Health Malaysia, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID/Health Financing and Governance Project and the World Bank, organised a Global Meeting themed “Building Health Systems to Achieve Universal Health Coverage” from July 20th to 22nd, 2016.

The three-day flagship meeting brought together more than 170 practitioners, policymakers, and development partners from 27 countries to share experiences on implementing health systems reforms to achieve UHC and co-develop solutions to addressing common challenges.

Over the course of the three days, the JLN Global Meeting achieved the following:

Energised the network by developing stronger ties and a sense of community among all JLN members, including 16 new associate member countries;

Reviewed 6-years of JLN experiences across 6 technical initiatives and identified opportunities for more cross-technical collaboration;

Enabled participants to gain a deeper understanding of what works and how to pursue stronger primary health care (PHC)-oriented UHC based on the experiences of multiple countries, and problem-solve jointly with other participants on relevant issues;

Developed a shared vision of PHC-oriented UHC, creating champions for reform who are thinking about the policy, institutional, and organizational reforms required to build resilient health systems;

Highlighted specific needs (e.g. funding, technical assistance, monitoring/evaluation, research, etc.) of JLN members that might be met by new technical initiatives or other external assistance, and set an agenda for future JLN activities.

The JLN is an innovative global learning network which brings together the experience of practitioners and policymakers from around the globe to co-produce knowledge that focuses on the practical ‘how to' of achieving universal health coverage. This JLN Global Meeting shares and reviews existing technical initiatives, identify new technical areas of focus and provides an opportunity to energise JLN members around primary health care improvement as a pathway towards UHC.

Malaysia, as a JLN full-member country, is committed to sharing our know-how and experience with other countries. We have an extensive health system that is cost-effective while at the same time affording good financial risk protection to the people. We can share our experience of achieving UHC since 1980’s. At the same time, we cannot be complacent and must strive to the successfully tackle new challenges we now face through practical means. Malaysia gains from collaborating with other JLN members who have implicit, tacit knowledge in areas that are new to us.

This innovative learning approach translates knowledge sharing into guides and tools that bridge theory with practical guidance especially for countries such as Malaysia moving forward for a stronger system for UHC. 

DATUK SERI DR. S. SUBRAMANIAM
Minister of Health Malaysia 2016