Universal Health Coverage Day 2023 – WHO is urging governments to prioritize funding for the creation of resilient health systems on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day in order to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone, everywhere.
Climate change, disasters, and other shocks will put an even greater strain on health services and the people who need them most in a world that is becoming more volatile. Currently, more than 40% of people on Earth reside in regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. More than 25% of people on the planet reside in areas impacted by ongoing conflict, extreme poverty, and limited access to essential medical care.
With 360 million people in need worldwide, the amount of humanitarian needs has increased to unprecedented heights. In addition, half of the world’s population lacks complete access to basic healthcare services.
“WHO was born 75 years ago on the conviction that health is a human right. And the best way to realize that right is universal health coverage,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Investing in resilient health systems, based on strong primary health care, is the most inclusive, equitable and cost-effective path towards universal health coverage.”
To effectively lower the global illness burden and prevent the millions of additional deaths annually that are predicted as a result of the climate catastrophe, preventable environmental dangers, and complicated health emergencies, health systems that are resilient to shocks and strains are essential.
In order to expedite the transition to universal health coverage (UHC), WHO is collaborating with nations to reorient health systems toward primary health care (PHC), a strategy that can assist deliver 90% of critical health services while saving 60 million lives by 2030.
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WHO and partners also held a series of events dedicated to UHC Day on 11 December.
Youth advocates demand governments to take action
At a town hall meeting organized by the WHO Youth Council, UHC2030, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a 100-day youth-led advocacy campaign to encourage lawmakers to fulfill the promise of health for all got underway. Young people had the chance to ask international lawmakers questions regarding UHC changes and to exchange ideas about what countries should be doing to encourage UHC action.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union passed a landmark resolution in 2019 urging legislators to move more quickly toward UHC.
2023 Global Health Expenditure Report
WHO launched a new Global Health Expenditure Report and database which shed new light on the evolution of global health spending at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons can be learnt to future-proof health systems.
According to the analysis, global health spending hit a record high of US$9.8 trillion in 2021, or 10.3% of the world’s GDP. Still, there was a glaring disparity in the way that expenditure was distributed. In 2021, 11% of the world’s population resided in nations where the average annual per capita health spending was less than US$50, whilst high-income nations spent an average of US$4,000 per person on healthcare. Despite making up 8% of the world’s population, low-income nations only contributed 0.24% of global health spending.
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Delivering quality care to everyone, everywhere, at all times
WHO, the World Bank and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) launched a new collection of articles on quality of healthcare. The collection emphasizes that health service quality must be a priority, not an afterthought, including during emergencies. The authors share experiences and proven solutions, and call for greater investment and political attention to quality issues–not just access—as a cornerstone of universal health coverage.
Everyone who is eligible for universal health coverage can obtain the medical care they require without facing financial hardship. In September 2023, world leaders pledged to intensify their efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. It is now necessary to convert these promises into investments in robust health systems.
