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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=DE-CH link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Basel, 13 August 2013. Like many other actors in global health, the Medicus Mundi International Network (MMI) is overwhelmed by the attention given to the concept of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the last two years, mainly by the World Health Organization and related to the debate on health in the post-2015 development agenda. We have followed this debate with great interest, as the “UHC hype” has brought health systems strengthening, a core concern of MMI, back to the top of the global health agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A MMI discussion paper published today compares key elements of the concept of UHC as promoted by the World Health Organization with our own ambition of Health for All. In the three sections (1) “What is (in) Universal Health Coverage?”, (2) “Financing UHC”, and (3) “UHC and health equity” of the discussion paper we directly refer to two “questions and answers” papers recently published by the World Health Organization and add some of our reflections and open questions, hoping to contribute with this to the further discussion within and beyond our Network.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The MMI discussion paper is available on the MMI website, together with a thematic guide on UHC: <br><a href="http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/news/2013/mmi-uhc-discussion-paper">http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/news/2013/mmi-uhc-discussion-paper</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'>Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'>Medicus Mundi International Network<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR-CH style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'>Murbacherstrasse 34, CH-4013 Basel<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR-CH style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'>Phone +41 (61) 383 18 11 (MON-WED)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><a href="mailto:schwarz@medicusmundi.org"><span lang=FR-CH style='color:black'>schwarz@medicusmundi.org</span></a></span><span lang=FR-CH style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><br></span><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><a href="http://www.medicusmundi.org/"><span lang=FR-CH style='color:black'>www.medicusmundi.org</span></a></span><span lang=FR-CH style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span lang=FR-CH style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'>Sharing knowhow and joining <br>forces towards Health for All</span></i><i><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-language:DE-CH'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p></div></body></html>