The Lancet
Feb 20, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10020 p717-816
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

.
Editorial
An ambitious agenda for humanity
The Lancet
As highlighted in today’s Lancet, protracted conflicts continue to harm human health and wellbeing. In Yemen, 21 million of 24 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance and 15 million lack access to health care (see World Report). In Syria, despite a recent ceasefire agreement, fighting looks set to continue into its sixth year. A letter in this issue draws attention to the plight of the 1 million Syrian children who have been orphaned by the war.

.

Comment
Zika virus and microcephaly: why is this situation a PHEIC?
David L Heymann, Abraham Hodgson, Amadou Alpha Sall, David O Freedman, J Erin Staples, Fernando Althabe, Kalpana Baruah, Ghazala Mahmud, Nyoman Kandun, Pedro F C Vasconcelos, Silvia Bino, K U MenonPublished Online: 10 February 2016
Summary
When the Director-General of WHO declared, on Feb 1, 2016, that recently reported clusters of microcephaly and other neurological disorders are a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC),1 it was on the advice of an Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations and of other experts whom she had previously consulted. We are the members of the Emergency Committee, and we were identified by the Director-General from rosters of experts that had been submitted by WHO Member States.

.

Health Policy
Moving towards universal health coverage: lessons from 11 country studies
Michael R Reich, Joseph Harris, Naoki Ikegami, Akiko Maeda, Cheryl Cashin, Edson C Araujo, Keizo Takemi, Timothy G Evans
Summary
In recent years, many countries have adopted universal health coverage (UHC) as a national aspiration. In response to increasing demand for a systematic assessment of global experiences with UHC, the Government of Japan and the World Bank collaborated on a 2-year multicountry research programme to analyse the processes of moving towards UHC. The programme included 11 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam), representing diverse geographical, economic, and historical contexts. The study identified common challenges and opportunities and useful insights for how to move towards UHC. The study showed that UHC is a complex process, fraught with challenges, many possible pathways, and various pitfalls—but is also feasible and achievable. Movement towards UHC is a long-term policy engagement that needs both technical knowledge and political know-how. Technical solutions need to be accompanied by pragmatic and innovative strategies that address the national political economy context.