Universal Health Coverage Day
What is UHC?Globally, 400 million people lack access to one or more essential health services. Because of out-of-pocket payments a hundred million people are driven into poverty while a further 150 million people suffer financial catastrophe. This because nearly a third of total global health expenditure comes from out-of-pocket payments. Globally, we face shortages in trained medical staff, insufficient healthcare spending in the world’s poorest countries and two-thirds of all annual deaths are still not registered.
Responding to a crisis
In response to this global healthcare crisis, health was included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals under the name “Universal Health Coverage’. The goal calls for improved health financing with an aim to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures and training and supporting the required workforce of healthcare workers. Furthermore, UHC calls for better health statistics and information systems, comprehensive national health policies and improved service delivery and safety which includes TB services and prevention of the spread of TB in healthcare facilities.
Video: What is Universal Health Coverage?According to the WHO, universal health coverage and health financing have three related objectives:
- Equity in access to health services - everyone who needs services should get them, not only those who can pay for them;
- The quality of health services should be good enough to improve the health of those receiving services; and
- People should be protected against financial-risk, ensuring that the cost of using services does not put people at risk of financial harm.
