Describing it as an 鈥渋mportant landmark鈥� on our 鈥渏ourney to health for all鈥�, Secretary-General听Ant贸nio听Guterres听on Monday welcomed the 缅北禁地Political Declaration on universal health coverage, or UHC, which commits countries to advance towards full coverage for their citizens in four major areas around primary care.
World leaders made the public commitment during the听meeting听at the beginning of the high level week of the 缅北禁地General Assembly, themed 鈥淯niversal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World鈥�.
He maintained that this 鈥渟ignificant achievement鈥� will drive progress over the next decade on tackling communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, while addressing non-communicable disease and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance through robust and resilient primary healthcare systems.
鈥淭he Political Declaration also states the need to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and reproductive rights鈥�, he continued. 鈥淚t is essential to protect the wellbeing and dignity of women and girls鈥�.
The 缅北禁地chief pushed for an urgent 鈥渃hange the financing paradigm鈥� to 鈥渟tep up the pace of investment鈥� towards UHC.
Stressing the importance of 鈥渂old national leadership鈥�, the Secretary-General underscored: 鈥淟et us all be champions of health for all鈥�.
Universal right, not a privilege
General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande opened the meeting by underscoring that access to critical health services 鈥渕ust be a universal right and not a privilege鈥�.
鈥淲e must ensure that nations around the world can benefit from each other in medical training, provision of medical infrastructure, among others, if we are to achieve our agreed听 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)", he stated.
Mr. Muhammad-Bande听said the objective of UHC is to 鈥渟trengthen our health systems鈥� to guarantee a 鈥渉ealthier life for everyone鈥� by ensuring that people have access to 鈥渁ffordable, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services鈥�. 听
According to the General Assembly President, to obtain quality health services, Member States must support each other, including with 鈥渋ntegrated, efficient, safe and people-centred care鈥� and continue to invest in research "to better equip us in preventing diseases, among other benefits鈥�.
In conclusion,听he pointed to the 鈥減rofound鈥� challenges we face, saying: 鈥淚 am confident that if we continue and strengthen international co-operation and seize the opportunities already available, while creating even more opportunities, we can overcome them 鈥� together鈥�.
鈥楢 political choice鈥�
Universal health coverage means all people regardless of their ability to pay, having access to the health care they need, when and where they need it, without facing financial hardship.
Congratulating world leaders, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization () told the historic meeting that UHC was 鈥渁 political choice: today world leaders have signaled their readiness to make that choice.鈥�
The declaration comes the day after WHO and partners flagged the need to double health coverage between now and 2030, or leave up to five billion people unable to access sufficient services.
In adopting the declaration, Member States have committed to investing in policies which would prevent financial hardship from out-of-pocket healthcare payments. It also aims to implement high-impact health interventions to combat diseases and protect women鈥檚 and children鈥檚 health.
Human development outcome
At the same time, David R. Malpass, President of the World Bank Group, informed the meeting that 鈥渨ith the changing nature of work鈥�, the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) are 鈥渟upporting the roll-out of mobile health insurance platforms鈥� to extend finance protection to tens of millions of people across 22 countries.
鈥淭o improve health outcomes, we must go beyond health鈥�, he flagged. 鈥淭hat means supporting communities by improving education, broadening social services and creating jobs鈥�.
According to Mr. Malpass, investments in health facilities, vaccines and health technology 鈥渨ill be wasted鈥�, if issues like 鈥渃hildhood stunting, girls education and weak social safety nets that leave families vulnerable鈥� are not addressed.
For her part, Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation asserted that it was now time 鈥渢o get down to the hard work鈥� of turning 鈥渃ommitments into results鈥�.
鈥淲e all have a role to play鈥�, she said. 鈥淒onors and country Governments need to move beyond business as usual to bolster the primary health care systems that address the vast majority of people鈥檚 needs over their lifetimes鈥�.
