After COVID-19 pandemic the achievement in health coverage and health goal are becoming a major discussion across the world. An all encompassive health coverage for covering vulnerable category namely women, children, old age people and adolescent are being taken as the most needed section to take care of.
Poverty, malnutrition, hungry, micro vitamin deficiency, anaemia and non communicable diseases are yet to be covered widely. Since half of the world population are still fighting for basic requirement to remain healthy generation.
Considering the need of attention, the United Nations on 12th December 2017 proclaimed the day as International Universal Health Coverage Day by resolution 72/138. International Universal Health Coverage Day invites global communities with multi stakeholder partners to join in the awareness to create a robust and resilient health system.
This occasion gives a clarion call to meet world leaders to come up with required investment in health infrastructure and allied services. United Nations High-level Meeting on Universal Health Level meeting on Universal Health Coverage(UHC), held on September 2023, stressed upon the concept of healthy people are the building block of healthy societies and economies. UHC is key mandate to reach Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
Challenging Factors
1)More than 2 million people are facing financial scarcity owing to ‘out of pocket’ expenses.
2) Around 344 people are living under extreme poverty.
3) Because of COVID-19 the health related progress under Sustainable Development Goals are forced to delay.
4)Compound climate change challenges are doubling up unseen health issues.
These critical conditions evokes guidelines to follow an action oriented policy to stimulate the health coverage. Increased inequities and financial drawbacks needs to be removed through prompt action. SDG subsumes a range of health services such as prevention, treatment, addressing poverty and hungry, drinking water and sanitation.
UHC is consisted of three major elements namely, 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 combined with SDG are based on principles of equity, justice, fairness and right to health. UHC secures health coverage to the people living far flung from the mainstream areas.
Focus on Health Access
Alongside technological growth and advancement of state of the art services for instance; vaccines, antibiotics and modern health equipments to minimise health expenses. Daily breakthrough for developing countervailing techniques and neutralizing severe diseases inhibits an atmosphere to generate a positive signal in this direction.
Fast digitalised connection helping communities to access primary health care. Particularly rural health care sectors are transformed into ‘health and wellness centre’ to access basic amenities. To achieve Human Right benefits through health access is essential field to be discussed amount world political leaders to facilitate right choices, rational financial and social choices.
Apex health body World Health Organisation(WHO) with joint initiatives with United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS); the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) has targeted reproductive, adolescent and maternal health issues under United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF)
Observance of UHC day necessitates the importance of immediate and recommended health progress with cooperation of public, private, civil society and NGOs. This year theme focus on ‘Health for all and time for action’ recognises the affordable and accessible health coverage. The day directs to cover population irrespective of different barriers that divides countries and it’s population. Thereby action based on health could be undertaken accordingly and the goal of SDG could be achieved within the specific period that is 2030.
Meanwhile health care costs and infrastructural loopholes needs to be arrested in order to evaluate the progress in this field. Government and private as well as multipurpose bodies should come forward to ease the menace.
Tags: World Health Coverage, Health, Sustainable Development Goal
