A healthy population is the backbone of a strong workforce productivity, which in turn supports inclusive growth and sustainable development. In recent decades, public and private sector investments to drive economic growth and trade have brought tremendous gains to countries in Asia and the Pacific. But investments in health have lagged behind those in other sectors. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, almost every country in the region has committed to attaining universal health coverage (UHC) and providing equitable access to quality care without undue financial hardship. To deliver on the UHC promise, though, it is essential that countries tackle weak social security systems, focus on persistent pockets of poverty and inequality, enable the private sector to deliver affordable and quality health services and commodities, and reduce out-of-pocket expenditures. Aging populations foreshadow escalating health care costs in the future ... —blog.adb.org/blogs