ACCESS Health International hosted a Joint Learning Workshop on Universal Health Coverage in February, 2010. Representatives from Ghana, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam convened to learn from each other on how to manage challenges with universal health coverage. The meeting was a collaboration between Atlantic Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GTZ, the International Labour Organization, the Providing for Health (P4H) Initiative, the Results for Development Institute, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the World Bank. Please visit www.jointlearningworkshop.org for more information

Recently several governments in South Asia, South East Asia and Africa have implemented state sponsored insurance programs that provide broad coverage. Some provide universal coverage, other provide coverage for those unable to pay.

Recently several governments in South Asia, South East Asia and Africa have implemented state sponsored insurance programs that provide broad coverage. Some provide universal coverage, other provide coverage for those unable to pay.

We have supported the creation of a joint learning network comprised of representatives from countries that have introduced such insurance programs. ACCESS Health International hosted an initial meeting of this network in February 2010 in collaboration with Atlantic Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GTZ, the International Labour Organization, the Providing for Health (P4H) Initiative, the Results for Development Institute, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the World Bank.

The Joint Learning Workshop on Universal Health Coverage was held in Gurgaon, India on February 3-5, 2010. The meeting convened 120 representatives from six countries – Ghana, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam – and several international organizations to share experiences in carrying out health coverage reform domestically, as well as to learn from the experiences and challenges of reform processes in other countries.

The three-day workshop featured country-led policy panel discussions aimed at increasing the audience’s understanding of each country’s health coverage scheme as well as technical sessions that were intended to serve as a platform for joint learning and problem solving across country delegations. Participants also had the opportunity to supplement technical discussions with site visits.

Some outcomes of the Joint Learning Workshop were: