WHO Director-General's remarks at the UNGA side event – The political economy of implementing primary health care: key policy shifts – 24 September 2025

Honourable Minister, Dr Akmaral Alnazarova,

Excellencies, Ministers, dear colleagues and friends,

I thank Kazakhstan - rakhmet - for convening us today and for its leadership in primary health care.

From Alma-Ata to Astana, Kazakhstan has been a consistent voice reminding the world that health begins with strong primary care.

The evidence is clear.

Countries that invest in primary health care achieve better health outcomes, greater resilience in crises, and stronger economic growth.

When primary health care is weak, inequality grows, essential services break down, and health systems are less resilient when confronted by shocks.

But many countries still have a long road ahead towards implementing primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage.

More than half the world's population lacks access to one or more health services that WHO considers essential;

Families are still driven into poverty by out-of-pocket costs with one billion people experiencing catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending;

And health systems remain too focused on hospitals while underfunding community-based and preventive care.

The primary health care approach is holistic.

Primary health care is the place where prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care come together.

It is where health promotion is rooted in communities.

It is where equity becomes real.

This week offers us an important opportunity.

Tomorrow, world leaders will approve the Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health.

It sets ambitious goals: 150 million fewer tobacco users; 150 million more people with hypertension under control; and 150 million more people with access to mental health care by 2030.

These are not abstract numbers. They represent lives saved and suffering averted.

But they will not be achieved without strong primary health care.

It is at the primary level that hypertension is diagnosed and treated, where depression and anxiety can be identified and supported, and where prevention starts.

That is why primary health care and the Political Declaration are inseparable.

Primary health care is the operational platform to deliver on tomorrow's commitments.

Allow me to highlight three priorities for action.

First, investment and leadership.

Primary health care requires long-term political commitment and sustainable domestic financing.

The returns are proven: healthier populations, stronger economies, and more resilient health systems.

The costs of neglect far outweigh the cost of investment.

Second, integration.

Primary health care must connect across conditions - non-communicable diseases, mental health, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and emergencies.

Parallel programs waste resources and exclude people. Integrated primary health care strengthens efficiency and trust.

Third, equity.

Primary health care must prioritize those most often left behind: people in rural areas, Indigenous communities, refugees, people with disabilities, and populations affected by conflict and climate change.

The Global Coalition on PHC plays an important role in advocating for political commitment.

But the real work happens in countries - in financing decisions, in policy reforms, and in how services are delivered in communities.

WHO supports countries by providing evidence and technical guidance, by helping build capacity, by convening partners, and by promoting accountability for results.

We stand with countries working to make universal health coverage a reality.

Excellencies,

History will not judge us by our speeches or our declarations, but by whether children are vaccinated, whether people with hypertension receive treatment, whether mental health care is accessible, and whether older people can live with dignity.

The path is clear: invest in primary health care, integrate services across conditions, and put equity at the centre.

If we do this, we will build resilient health systems, advance universal health coverage, and deliver health for all.

I thank you.