Furthermore, during the 11th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting hosted by the Thailand Ministry of Public Health in 2012, a joint statement emphasizing five main health topics, including Building UHC, was signed (12). Whilst there does appear to be a political commitment expressed for UHC, in reality it is difficult for policymakers to balance competing interests of the growing for-profit private sector (in most countries) and the moral imperative to ensure equal access to healthcare