BACKGROUND :

India and Indonesia are among the most populous countries on earth, and both are now firmly on the path towards universal health coverage. Their recent policy actions hold a promise to impact large sections of the population, especially the poor, in improving health status and financial risk protection. Experience from both the countries underlines the value of political context, policy experimentation in a federal/decentralized government and an iterative strategy in achieving UHC goals. The panel discussion featuring senior policymakers from these countries aims to reflect on this journey of both the countries and ideate on what holds for them in future, including a commentary by country experts from India and Indonesia and experts from Thailand.