International Universal Health Coverage Day

Health: It is on the House Government!

Investing in universal health coverage enhances equity and social cohesion and builds resilience. The agenda of SDGs focuses on promoting well-being for all and ensuring healthy lives. Yet, 4.5 billion people still do not have access to essential health services. Expenses of health care are pushing people into poverty. Observation of “International Universal Health Coverage Day” is a call to the governments world over to invest in health for all.  The world should work towards reversing increasing financial hardship when accessing essential health care. The UN actively promotes and protects health worldwide, and the WHO is leading the effort. Taiwan and South Korea have the best healthcare systems in the world, and India stands at 29^th. Kerala secured the top spot in India, followed by Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Providing health care is not on the house. It is on the government. As said by WHO India, the burden of ensuring healthcare should never push people into poverty.

Healthcare should never push people into poverty.
WHO India

Investing in universal health coverage enhances equity and social cohesion and builds resilience. The agenda of Sustainable Development Goals focuses on promoting well-being for all and ensuring healthy lives. Yet, 4.5 billion people still do not have access to essential health services. Expenses of health care are pushing people into poverty. An estimate puts it at 1.5 billion of them. Everyone should access an affordable essential health service, including quality medicines. In 2017, the UN adopted a resolution to observe 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day). The observation focused on raising awareness about the need for strong, resilient health systems and universal health coverage. Observation of “International Universal Health Coverage Day” is a call to the governments world over to invest in health for all. Motivate the governments to prioritise the investment to enhance the health care systems.

Universal health coverage: it is good for people and the economy!

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how universal health coverage and health security are intertwined. It is a call to world leaders to invest in healthcare infrastructure as the lives, livelihoods, and futures of people who depend on it. There are three dimensions to universal health coverage. Population coverage, availability of health services and financial protection. Governments should work towards reversing increasing financial hardship when accessing essential health care. 

The UN is actively involved in promoting and protecting health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) is the UN wing that focuses on issues relating to health care and works in more than 149 countries. Since the foundation of WHO in 1948, it has contributed to the overall population’s health, overcoming numerous obstacles by using advancements in medical science and health care. There is a considerable decrease in child and maternal mortality rates. The incidence of infectious diseases like HIV, TB, and malaria has dropped. All these efforts contributed towards the increase in global life expectancy at birth.

Three-quarters of all deaths annually are due to Non-Communicable Diseases. If considerable efforts are not made, it is likely to be a major contributor to the disease the world over. The UN forecasts the deaths likely to be 90 million annually by 2048, with the majority of contributions from non-communicable diseases.

Ensure that no one is left behind.

Health Care Index ranks Taiwan with the best healthcare system globally, followed by South Korea. India stands at 29^th position. The Health Index indicators reflect the disparities in healthcare infrastructure and outcomes across India’s regions are reflected in Health Index. It also reflects the status of understanding a country’s healthcare delivery provisions and welfare mechanisms. Kerala secured the top spot, followed by Tamil Nadu and Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh ranked the lowest.  

The Indian government has come out with several schemes in recent years focusing on providing health care to all. Through schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, one of the largest government-funded health schemes, the government is reaching out to the poor and needy for access to quality health care.

While providing health care, there is a need to go beyond one treatment system (like allopathy). Countries like India, China and some African countries have Indigenous healing and healthcare systems. There is a need to adopt them to enhance the reach.

Providing health care is not on the house,
it is on the government.
As said by WHO India, the burden of ensuring healthcare should never push people into poverty.

Toons: Shreya 
Logs: M Sai Baba             
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