September 23, 2019
Heads of state from around the world are in New York today to pledge to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. UHC means leaving no one behind: quality health services should be available to everyone who needs them, without causing them financial harm.
Today in the Health Affairs blog, we explain why local civil society advocacy will be necessary to achieve and sustain UHC. Civil society advocacy helps to generate political will for public health policies, ensure that health services and policies are appropriately resourced and implemented, and that governments are held accountable for their commitments. Earlier this month, in Devex, we provided a specific example of advocacy for the successful transition of a health project from international donors to a local government, the type of advocacy and outcome that UHC will increasingly require.
Last week, we joined our partners in the Taskforce on Women and NCDs (noncommunicable diseases) to call on governments and civil society organizations alike to ensure that women are at the table wherever health policies are being made. We also signed NCD Alliance’s open letter to governments ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, which urges them to use the High-Level Meeting on NCDs “to demonstrate leadership…to prevent much of the early death, pain and financial strain inflicted by NCDs.”
The High-Level Meeting on UHC will be followed by other important high-level forums, as well as the 74th United Nations General Assembly. We look forward to an active week as heads of states, civil society and other stakeholders tackle public health and other pressing global issues.
October 2, 2026
On October 29, 2026, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) will launch Voices from the Margins of Care: People Living with Noncommunicable Diseases in Asia and Africa, a compendium of patient testimonies from Bangladesh, India and Nigeria via a webinar that puts these realities at the center of the conversation on health policy.
September 14, 2026
On a field visit to Zambia, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator’s (GHAI) Associate Director of Communications for Health Systems Strengthening, Abel Akara Ticha, together with colleagues from the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), met Dr. Jacob Sakala, Manager of Zambia’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), in Lusaka.
September 10, 2026
You're invited to celebrate the graduation of the 2025-2026 cohort of the CSO Budget Advocacy Accelerator: September 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET | 2:00 PM UTC. RSVP here.
Ahead of the ceremony, here's a look at what this cohort achieved.
Over 10 months, GHAI's Advocacy Accelerator strengthened the capacity of 12 civil society organizations (CSOs) from 11 countries across Africa and Asia to influence domestic health financing, combining hands-on learning, expert mentorship and peer exchange. Through capstone projects spanning cardiovascular health, drowning prevention, health security, mental health, road safety and tobacco control, this cohort achieved concrete results.
