Japan will contribute about $2.9 billion to programs to combat infectious disease and treat young children in developing countries in pursuit of universal health coverage, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday at an international forum on the topic in Tokyo.

Universal health coverage -- ensuring that every person can obtain the health care services they need without suffering financial hardship -- is part of the sustainable development goals U.N. members aim to achieve by 2030.

Abe made the announcement alongside U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and world leaders attending the Universal Health Coverage Forum, organized by the Japanese government and international organizations including the World Bank and World Health Organization.

"We will give our all to building a global framework to promote UHC, together with Secretary General Guterres and other world leaders," Abe said.

Abe also proposed a new interim universal health coverage target: that 1 billion more people are able to receive basic health services by 2023.

At present, the WHO aims to ensure by 2030 that 80 percent of the population of developing countries have access to basic health services and that no one falls into poverty due to out-of-pocket expenses on health care.

Guterres praised Japan's funding commitment and called for further integration between the public and private sectors suited to each country's needs to combat "gross inequity" persisting in health care.

"Out-of-pocket spending on health causes an estimated 100 million people to fall below the poverty line every year, and in an increasingly interconnected world, an evolving global health landscape gives rise to new threats," Guterres said.

The U.N. General Assembly will hold a high-level meeting on universal health coverage next year, and has declared Dec. 12 Universal Health Coverage Day.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus were among participants in the forum, each underscoring the importance of each country making a commitment to health systems that reach underserved people.

"It takes unwavering political commitment because it is a political choice, but the price is a healthier, safer and fairer world for all people," Tedros said.

Abe said Japan can contribute its particular experience with health coverage for aging populations to other countries.

He also announced that Tokyo will host a nutrition forum in 2020 on ensuring stable food supply.