History

Our story begins in 2007 when we started out as IHP+, an international partnership that aimed to improve effective development cooperation in health to help meet the Millennium Development Goals. In 2016, IHP+ transformed into UHC2030 to respond to the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and we expanded our scope to include health systems strengthening to achieve universal health coverage. 

IHP+

The IHP+ approach included providing support to strong and comprehensive country and government-led national health plans in a well-coordinated way. Our partners were developing countries, bi-lateral donor countries and international development agencies, while civil society organisations were less formally involved. 

Partners believed that by uniting around a single health strategy and by changing the way we work together, the health of citizens in developing countries would improve. All our partners signed an IHP+ Global Compact demonstrating commitment to the principles of effective development cooperation. 

The initiative grew from 26 partners in 2007, to 66 partners in 2016 with many of them demonstrating increasing commitment to improving coordination and harmonisation in the health sector. 

Transforming IHP+ into UHC2030

In September 2015 the world moved from focusing on the Millennium Development Goals to the more universal and ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IHP+ responded to these changes by discussing how best the partnership can contribute to moving towards the health-related SDG. 

In early 2016, the Steering Committee and IHP+ signatories agreed to expand the scope of IHP+ to include health systems strengthening (HSS) towards the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC).

It was also agreed to broaden the base of the partnership to respond to the health-related SDGs because they are relevant for all countries, rich and poor. It was envisaged that the new partnership would continue the work on improving effective development cooperation in countries receiving external assistance, but also broaden the scope to focus on HSS and domestic spending in all countries.

In September 2016 the Director General of WHO formally announced the establishment of the ‘International Health Partnership for UHC 2030’ at a high-level meeting on during UNGA in New York.