Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Hyung-hoon has urged the international community to unite resources for universal health coverage and sustainable health financing at the recent G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting.

The ministry announced that Vice Minister Lee led Korea’s delegation to the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting and the Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting, both held last Friday in Polokwane, South Africa.

Hosted by South Africa, the meetings gathered officials from G20 nations, invited countries, and major international health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO).

Discussions at the Health Ministers’ Meeting led to agreements to prioritize universal health coverage through primary healthcare, strengthen the health workforce, intensify non-communicable disease prevention, improve pandemic preparedness and response, and advance scientific innovation for health and economic growth.

Vice Minister Lee presented the Korean government’s policies and secured G20-level support to address regional disparities and expand essential healthcare. The G20 agreed to pursue coordinated actions to tackle rising non-communicable diseases and mental health challenges, emphasizing inter-ministerial cooperation and private-sector involvement for sustainable health innovation.

At the Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting, Vice Minister Lee secured consensus on strengthening rapid pandemic funding as an early response strategy. G20 members committed to continued collaboration between health and finance authorities, building on the meeting’s resolutions.

Vice Minister Lee also met with Zubir Ahmed, the U.K. Deputy Minister of Health and Social Care, to discuss mutual interests such as healthcare R&D, medical data, and AI. They explored practical cooperation, including the Second Health Dialogue.

Lee further met with the U.S. delegation, which will chair next year’s G20 Summit, confirming both sides’ commitment to health cooperation as they discussed key priorities. He subsequently met with the Japanese and Chinese delegations to prepare for the 18th Korea-Japan-China Health Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul this December and to discuss shared priorities such as digital health, healthy aging, and mental health.

“This G20 meeting reinforced the global consensus to enhance crisis response by linking health and finance,” the ministry said. “Our government will actively work to improve global health equity and achieve universal coverage through stronger primary care and sustainable financing.”