On 21 September 2023, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended the 4th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Global Health on the margins of the UNGA78 High-level Week at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, co-hosted by Japan, Georgia and Thailand.

Vice FM highlighted the importance of UHC in ensuring health equity, and the need to strengthen international cooperation and engage with external partners to ensure fair, strong and resilient health systems.

Other speakers also called for collective efforts to put Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG3 on health and well-being, back on track by learning from our past mistakes and to show commitments and willingness to take more concrete actions. This would include the empowerment of communities and social participation and help realize the vision of “Health for All”.

The event was an opportunity for delegations to celebrate the outcome of the 2023 High-level Meeting on UHC and adoption of its political declaration while learning from each other’s successful UHC reforms, demonstrating the value of UHC in achieving broader development targets, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.