International Universal Health Coverage Day | United Nations (original) (raw)

Girl visiting pediatrician.

Photo:WHO

Health: It's on the government

On 12 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a resolution urging countries to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) – the idea that everyone, everywhere should have access to quality, affordable health care. On 12 December 2017, the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) by resolution 72/138.

International Universal Health Coverage Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners. Each year on 12 December, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic has again shown us that UHC and health security are intertwined goals to protect everyone, everywhere, that we achieve through the same health system – in crisis and calm. For health systems to work, they must work for everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. Equitable health coverage puts women, children, adolescents, and the most vulnerable first because they face the most significant barriers to essential care.

On 12 December, join us to demand action on universal health coverage and call on leaders to invest in financial protection for health. Our lives, livelihoods and futures depend on it.

Investing in universal health coverage (UHC) improves equity and social cohesion. It also benefits the national economy by improving health and well-being, increasing workforce participation and productivity, and building resilience in individuals, families and communities.

In adopting the Sustainable Development Agenda in 2015, heads of state and governments from every country in the world committed to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for everyone. They reiterated these commitments in the political declarations adopted during the 2019 and 2023 high level meetings on universal health coverage.

And yet 4.5 billion people still do not have access to essential health services. What’s more, over the last 20 years, financial protection has progressively deteriorated, with 2 billion people experiencing financial hardship and 1.3 billion people pushed into poverty due to health spending.

This must change!

This UHC Day we are calling on governments to invest in health for all and protect people – particularly the most vulnerable among us – from impoverishing health spending.

Visit the official campaign microsite: www.universalhealthcoverageday.org.

Background

UHC means that everyone, everywhere, can access to the health services they need without risk of financial hardship. It is embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 3.8) and includes the full range of essential health services, spanning health promotion, prevention, and treatment.

The three dimensions of UHC are population coverage (who receives services, linked to equity), service coverage (what health services are available), and financial protection (ensuring health services do not lead to financial hardship). UHC is based on the principles of equity, non-discrimination and the right to health, ensuring that the most marginalized populations are reached and covered, and no-one is left behind.

Universal Health Coverage - What does it mean?

The Road to Universal Health Coverage

The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) has become more attainable as the world has become richer, leading to greater access to health services and technologies, such as vaccines and antibiotics, and to the most dramatic decline in poverty ever achieved. To ensure that every person benefits from the human right to health, political leaders have to make the right choices, the rational economic, financial and social choice of universal health coverage.

Global Issues: Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) is one of the many members of the UN family engaged in health-related matters, which includes, among others, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in support of reproductive, adolescent and maternal health; and the health-related activities of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.