Introduction Universal health coverage has become a global imperative, with countries aspiring to ensure that everyone has access to quality health services without financial hardship. In Asia and the Pacific, developing member countries have enacted laws, increased investments in health, and undertaken health system reforms to expand the delivery of health services and financial protection, especially to the poorest and other vulnerable sectors of their populations. More than a health goal, universal health coverage is increasingly seen as essential to economic growth—not only in improving health outcomes but also boosting learning, enhancing worker productivity, and increasing income. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how countries with stronger health systems were better able to respond to public health emergencies, safeguard their populations, and protect their economic gains. Despite these shared goals and similar lessons, many developing member countries still pursue universal health coverage in isolation—designing policies, tackling challenges, and testing innovations on their own, often without access to the insights and experiences of their neighbors. To address this gap, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Universal Health Coverage Practitioners and Experts Knowledge Exchange and Resources (UHC PEERS), a regional peer-to-peer network to foster collaboration, co-create knowledge, and drive collective progress toward inclusive, resilient health systems. Need for Collaboration While many international and national organizations support countries in their universal health coverage reforms, there remains limited cross-country learning . Although some learning networks exist, no regional platform specifically tailored for Asia and the Pacific has been organized. Policymakers and health practitioners in developing member countries have shown keen interest to learn from one another. Although country context is always important in designing and implementing policy and reforms, lessons from other countries—both successes and setbacks—offer valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing. Peer learning can help countries find solutions and bring innovations to address barriers and bottlenecks in achieving universal health coverage. What is UHC PEERS? UHC PEERS will connect practitioners and policymakers from developing member countries and developed countries in Asia and the Pacific, sharing experiences, exchanging knowledge, and jointly developing knowledge products to assist developing member countries achieve and sustain universal health coverage. UHC PEERS will be a dynamic platform to move countries from working in silos toward working in solidarity, supported by global partners and academic institutions. Its premise is simple: every country has something to offer and something to learn in the pursuit of sustainable, equitable health systems. The initiative will facilitate exchange visits, co-create knowledge products, promote mentorship, and support capacity building through tailored platforms and engagements. Figure 1 outlines how the initiative fosters peer learning and system-wide impact. Figure 1: Main Activities of UHC PEERS Source: Asian Development Bank. Action Plan for UHC PEERS Universal health coverage community of practice ADB will build a diverse and inclusive community composed of developing member countries, developed countries, development partners, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. The community will prioritize key universal health coverage topics for peer-to-peer learning based on country consultations. Among the identified priority areas are national and private health insurance, domestic resource mobilization for health, human resources for health, digital health, primary health care, medical education, and climate resilient health systems. The universal health coverage community will meet in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together developing member countries, development partners, academic institutions, and other partners to align goals, foster collaboration, and accelerate peer-to-peer learning. Universal health coverage knowledge sharing platform A core component of the UHC PEERS is a digital platform that will provide convenient and timely access to existing knowledge, good practices, and learning resources from across the regions. This online repository, to be launched by the fourth quarter of 2025, will house peer-reviewed documents, practical toolkits, and case studies. All content will be curated for ease of use by practitioners and will be translated to English to ensure accessibility across the network. In addition, selected developing member countries will document their good practices in areas such as health service delivery, financing models, digital innovation, medical education, and community engagement. These will be developed into case studies or toolkits for wider dissemination through the platform. Innovations marketplace for universal health coverage UHC PEERS will introduce various mechanisms to promote universal health coverage innovations, including setting up a dedicated help desk. This feature will act as a matchmaking tool, connecting developing member countries with relevant experts, peer countries, or institutions based on their specific questions or challenges. To further deepen learning, UHC PEERS will support fellowships and secondments, giving officials of developing member countries opportunities to immerse themselves in peer countries and institutions, observe effective practices firsthand, and build professional networks. The combination of the universal health coverage community, knowledge-sharing portal, and innovations marketplace will form a powerful engine for sustained peer learning. UHC PEERS will facilitate a range of activities, including webinars, online meetings, and face-to-face exchanges among developing member countries. These engagements will enable countries to discuss specific challenges and conduct joint problem-solving exercises to develop shared solutions. Shaping the Future of Health Reform UHC PEERS is an ambitious yet practical model for regional collaboration on health. It reflects the urgency of building resilient health systems and recognizing that the fastest path to innovation is through shared experiences and collective wisdom. The platform offers a new model for regional collaboration, where countries move beyond parallel reform tracks and begin working in synergy. By bringing countries together—not just as beneficiaries but as co-creators—UHC PEERS will transform how knowledge and solutions flow across borders. It also supports how developing member countries can identify their future financial needs for the health sector, ensuring that development partners such as ADB can respond with timely support. Note: UHC PEERS was launched during ADB’s 1st INSPIRE Health Forum: Inclusive, Sustainable, Prosperous and Resilient (INSPIRE) Health Systems in Asia and the Pacific on July 7–11, 2025. Resources ADB. 2025. ADB Launches Regional Network to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage in Asia and the Pacific. News release. 8 July. UHC2030. World Health Organization. 2025. Universal Health Coverage. Ask the Experts Nishant Jain Senior Health Specialist, Human and Social Development Sector Office, Sector Department 3, Asian Development Bank Dr. Nishant Jain is a global champion of universal health coverage (UHC), with over two decades of experience in the field. He played a key role in designing and implementing India’s national health insurance schemes, which now cover more than half a billion people. He has also supported countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa in developing and implementing their UHC programs. He previously led the health and social security portfolio for German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in India. Eduardo P. Banzon Director, Health Practice Team, Human and Social Development Office, Sector Department 3, Asian Development Bank Eduardo Banzon champions Universal Health Coverage and has long provided technical support to countries in Asia and the Pacific in their pursuit of this goal. Before joining ADB in 2014, he was President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, World Health Organization (WHO) regional adviser for health financing for the Eastern Mediterranean region, WHO health economist in Bangladesh, and World Bank senior health specialist for the East Asia and Pacific region. Asian Development Bank (ADB) The Asian Development Bank is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—49 from the region. Follow Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.