December 4, 2025
Beyond the Gap: A Health System for All
At the World Health Summit, leaders from WHO, BMZ, Gavi, ATscale, Special Olympics, Mohammend Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and organizations of persons with disabilities called for practical steps to make disability inclusion core to universal health coverage. From data gaps to assistive technology, and from global commitments to local realities, the message was clear: equity requires design, investment and accountability so that 1.3 billion people with disabilities are not left behind. And a global movement with diverse stakeholders working together is needed to mobilize these needed resources.
November 26, 2025
Responsible AI in Health
Berlin, 12 October 2025 — Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming global healthcare – from diagnosis to data management. But without clear governance, it risks deepening inequalities, producing biased results, and eroding trust in public institutions.
May 7, 2025
Why Investing in Health Has Never Been More Important
Key insights from the BMZ High-Level Dialogue “The Case for Investing in Health - NOW!” with Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen
August 6, 2024
openIMIS powers Cameroon’s long-term vision for universal health coverage
Cameroon has adopted the digital public good openIMIS to bring together different health financing schemes in one digital UHC platform. This is improving scheme efficiency, transparency and governance, and extending access to health services for those in need.
June 24, 2024
A first for Senegal, as social health insurance is extended to artisans
Informal sector workers often earn low and irregular wages, lack protection and face difficulties in accessing adequate basic services. As part of Senegal’s labour reforms, Germany is supporting a social protection pilot which could be extended to cover the whole informal sector
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Universal Health Coverage
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Under Universal Health Coverage all people have access to adequate healthcare without suffering financial hardship paying for it.
Access to healthcare is a human right. Yet, more than half of the world’s population currently does not have full coverage of essential health services. Over 90 million people a year are pushed into extreme poverty (having to live on less than US$1.90 a day) because they have to pay for health care or are unable to work due to illness. In 2005, all member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) subscribed to the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – ensuring that all people have access to healthcare without suffering financial hardship paying for it.
’Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship’ (WHO, 2019).
Ensuring financial protection for all is a complex and lengthy undertaking that raises numerous systemic – and redistributive – questions about how a state intends to guarantee and promote a basic human right of its citizens. Supporting partner countries in this endeavour is one of the priorities of German development cooperation in health and social protection, as reflected in the articles, events and studies presented on this page.
Stories
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Beyond the Gap: A Health System for All
At the World Health Summit, leaders from WHO, BMZ, Gavi, ATscale, Special Olympics, Mohammend Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and organizations of persons with disabilities called for practical steps to make disability inclusion core to universal health coverage. From data gaps to assistive technology, and from global commitments to local realities, the message was clear:…
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Responsible AI in Health
Berlin, 12 October 2025 — Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming global healthcare – from diagnosis to data management. But without clear governance, it risks deepening inequalities, producing biased results, and eroding trust in public institutions.
-
Why Investing in Health Has Never Been More Important
Key insights from the BMZ High-Level Dialogue “The Case for Investing in Health – NOW!” with Parliamentary State Secretary Niels Annen
Events
Studies
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Catalyst dialogue on health financing
Financing Health for All in the context of scarcity
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Trusted partners for Universal Health Coverage
Learning from support to large-scale reforms in India and Indonesia
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How rewards improve health practice in Malawi
Learnings from a Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative
