Advocates for universal health coverage this week lauded the way that global political agendas have integrated health issues in recent years. But participants in this week's World Health Summit in Berlin — including Nobel laureates, health ministers from around the world, and leaders of international agencies — warned that, without political will, few countries will be able to deliver on those pledges.

As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, all United Nations member countries committed to reaching UHC by 2030. Specifically, they pledged to ensure access to a range of health services — from promotion to rehabilitation — at costs that are affordable.

That task is formidable, especially in low- and middle-income countries, speakers at the three-day summit cautioned. Political leaders must confront issues such as health worker shortages and spotty information systems, even as they try to construct financing schemes to fund UHC. They must make concrete plans and financial commitments, advocates said.

It's a political choice," said Dr. Rüdiger Krech, the director of health systems and innovation at the World Health Organization. "It's not a technical choice. The technical means are there. We can do it, if we really want it."

Read the full article by Andrew Green about healthcare innovation on Devex International Development