Focus
Universal Health Coverage: #HealthForAll
“We want health
responses and
systems that are
centred to the health
needs of individuals
and communities,
rather than focused
on diseases. We want
a UHC that takes a
holistic approach to
health care provision,
promotion, and
disease prevention.”
GFAN/APCASO, “The UHC That
We Want”, 2017
Health is a human right, but so
many across the globe continue
to be denied this right. At least
half of the world’s population do
not have full coverage of essential
health services and over 800
million people (12% of the world’s
population) spend at least 10%
of their household budgets on
healthcare.
Universal health coverage (UHC)
means that everyone is able to
access health services without
suffering financial hardship.
Governments across the world
committed to achieving UHC by
2030 as part of the Sustainable
Development Goals. Achieving
UHC is particularly important for
viral hepatitis as it aims to ensure
that the needs of overlooked and
underserved populations are met
and we know that viral hepatitis
overwhelmingly affects the most
vulnerable.
To tackle this issues, the World
Health Organization held a civil
society meeting on HIV, viral
hepatitis, tuberculosis, sexually
transmitted infections and
universal health coverage on
22-23 March. The first-of-its-kind
meeting brought together key
civil society actors in the sector
including WHA representatives
and WHA members and
encouraged participants to share
their experiences, feedback
and challenges on UHC. WHA
Karine Belondrade delivered
an intervention stressing that
Participants in WHO’s civil society meeting on HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted
infections and universal health coverage
the voice of people affected by
these illnesses must be heard
in order to reach UNC and the
resounding message of the
meeting was that collaboration is
key to achieving UHC. Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO
Director-General, further stressed
this in a statement issued to the
meeting, stating that “reaching
marginalized communities
requires partnership and
collaboration with those affected
communities and with broader
civil society”.
The message is clear: everyone
has a role to play in reaching
UHC and as such, the theme
of World Health Day (7 April
2018) is “Universal Health
Coverage (UHC): everyone,
everywhere”. Whether you are
12 hep Voice April 2018
a civil society organisation, a
health worker, a government
official or an individual, you can
help to stimulate conversation
and contribute to helping
your country achieving and
maintaining UHC. WHO has a
number of ideas for how to get
involved on its website as well
as campaign materials including
posters, toolkit, social media
graphics, infographics and videos
to support your activities.
Take part in World Health
Day 2018 – “Together we
have a historic opportunity
to transform the global
public health response.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General
April 2018 13
hep Voice