Milestones on the road to universal health coverage

In the last year, the universal health coverage (UHC) movement has seen an unprecedented groundswell of political commitment.

While countries continue to grapple with the realities of providing their populations access to quality care with limited available economic resources, it has become increasingly clear that political will is crucial if UHC is to gain ground.

On Universal Health Coverage Day, the world looks poised to carry the cause forward in new and innovative ways and to make the vision a reality.

“It is completely unacceptable that half the world still lacks coverage for the most essential health services,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, at the Forum.

“A solution exists,” he continued. “UHC allows everyone to obtain the health services they need, when and .where they need them, without facing financial hardship.”

Director of the Division of Health Systems and Public Health at WHO/Europe, outlined 3 concrete ways in which countries can take action on this commitment:

• redouble efforts to advance UHC;
• work harder to provide people-centered health services; and
• plan ahead to make sure that health systems are prepared to deal with crises.

Primary health care plays a vital role in bringing health services closer to people’s homes and communities, thereby improving access. In October this year, 1200 delegates from more than 120 countries around the world gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the Global Conference on Primary Health Care. Together they adopted the Declaration of Astana, vowing to strengthen their primary health care systems as an essential step towards UHC.

In the coming years, WHO will support countries to implement the Declaration of Astana, which provides direction for the development of primary health care as the basis of health care systems. This support will form part of WHO’s ongoing work to help countries move towards UHC, including efforts to better understand the causes of financial hardship and to make a strong case for investment in health systems.

Original source: WHO
Published on 11 December 2018