Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have increasingly become a vital instrument for supporting the achievement of Primary Health Care (PHC) goals in many countries across the globe. As discourse continues regarding the best ways to leverage PPPs to provide sustainable healthcare solutions, the University College London (UCL) Symposium was organized at the UCL-East Marshgate, London on 12th May, 2026.
The symposium assembled academics, policymakers, innovators, funders, and health practitioners from around the world to discuss the ways PPPs may be leveraged to develop strong and sustainable health systems that priorities providing affordable, quality care to people in the present ever-changing environment.
Organised by the Health Systems & Policy Research Cluster at the Global Business School for Health, University College London (GBSH-UCL), in partnership with Health Systems Global PSIH-TWG, the Digital Public Health Centre for Emergencies at UCL, and Frontiers in Public Health, the single-day symposium delved into issues pertaining to partnerships in primary health care provision, digital innovations, governance, financing, and human resources for health.
A pivotal discussion from the symposium highlighted the need for partnerships that are focused on public and private sectors’ joint efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). To make sustainable improvements towards UHC, there must be cooperation between the public health system – which is comprised of different actors with different mandates, namely, regulation, policy generation and service provision – and the private entities driving innovation and capable of offering these services in mutually beneficial arrangements with state bodies.
The symposium engaged participants on issues of governance and accountability when pursuing health coverage through public and private sector collaborations. Different modes of partnerships were highlighted, such as between governments and healthcare facilities, digital companies, and financiers, to provide equal access to healthcare while ensuring that such partnerships align with government health goals.
The integration of digital technologies to provide primary health care (PHC) through PPP models was another strand of discussion. Digitisation continues to transform health systems, opening new doors for private sector participation in a previously public service delivery arena. This necessitates candid discussions around the operational challenges and practical workarounds to align public and private stakeholders’ goals to ensure digital health innovations and interventions are scalable and sustainable.
Open PHENCES and Strathmore PRISM’s Prof. Francis Wafula hosted a session within the symposium, delivering a thought-provoking presentation on innovation scaling from an academic and public sector perspective. As the current chair of the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC), Prof. Wafula challenged participants to envision government differently. Government is not a single unit, but rather a composite entity where sub-units may work at cross-purposes. This, he argued, is what hinders the scaling of digital innovations in PPPs, not just in healthcare, but in many other sectors of a country’s economy.
The symposium also featured sessions dedicated to exploring financing models that would promote the resilience of health systems. Discussions included blended financing and catalytic funding, among others, to ensure the efficient use of both public and private funding. The discussions centred on the possibility of leveraging these methods in scaling up PHC products and services.
It is worth noting that these conversations indicated a major shift in global thinking regarding mixed health systems, moving towards greater integration of commercial interests with public value. All participants recognised that such improvements would require more than just endless pilot initiatives; scaling demands a real commitment to innovation and flexibility in policy development and stronger collaboration between public and private actors.
The symposium ended with comments from world-renowned global health experts who highlighted the need for continuing collaboration between governments, academia, private corporations, and development agencies. With the increase in complexity of healthcare issues, it is clear that collaboration and strong partnerships will be required for the advancement of health services in a digital world.
Strathmore PRISM, being at the centre of the global shift in thinking towards the value of public-private collaborations in promoting public good, looks forward to being part of more global conversations to contribute African experience and insights to global discourse on health systems innovation and management.
