As the secretariat of the Japan case study of the Japan–World Bank Partnership Program on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), JCIE worked closely with the World Bank and Ministry of Finance of Japan to organize side seminars on global health and UHC at the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings held in Tokyo in October 2012. The seminars dealt with cutting-edge topics in global health such as sustainable health financing in times of austerity, the socio-economic benefits of investing in health, and challenges as well as lessons learned from countries like Japan that have achieved and struggle to maintain UHC. Lessons are intended to help guide those working to improve health coverage in their own countries amidst political and financial difficulties.