'Health is a human right. No one should get sick and die just because they are poor or because they cannot access the health services they need'
Dimapur, April 6 (EMN): Nagaland’s department of Health and Family Welfare will be observing the World Health Day on April 7 with the theme ‘universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere.’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was founded on the principle that all people should be able to realise their right to the highest possible level of health.
Health for all has, therefore, been the guiding vision of WHO for more than seven decades. It is also the impetus behind the current organisation – wide drive to support countries in moving towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Experience has illustrated, time and again, that Universal Health Coverage is achieved when political will is strong. So in this 70th anniversary year, WHO has called upon the world leaders to live up to the pledges they made when they agreed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015, and commit to concrete steps to advance the health of all people. This means ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship.
The organisation will maintain a high-profile focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) via series of events through 2018, starting on World Health Day on April 7 with global and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.
Why Universal health coverage matters?
Countries that invest in Universal Health Coverage (UHC) make a sound investment in their human capital. In recent decades, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has emerged as a key strategy to make progress towards other health-related and broader development goals. Access to essential quality care and financial protection not only enhances people’s health and life expectancy, it also protects countries from epidemics, reduces poverty and the risk of hunger, creates jobs, drives economic growth and enhances gender equality.
What World Health Day can do?
Some countries have already made significant progress towards universal health coverage. But half the world’s population is still unable to obtain the health services they need. If countries are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target, one billion more people need to benefit from Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2023.
The World Health Day is observed to inspire, motivate and guide stakeholders to make commitments towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
It aims to inspire by highlighting policy-makers’ power to transform the health of their nation, framing the challenge as exciting and ambitious, and inviting them to be a part of the change.
It also aims to motivate by sharing examples of how countries are already progressing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and encourage others to find their own path.
Besides, it aims to guide by providing tools for structured policy dialogue on how to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) domestically or supporting such efforts in other countries (e.g. expanding service coverage, improving of services, reducing out-of-pocket payments).
Stating that at least half the world’s people do not receive the essential health services they need, the World Health Day is observed to raise awareness and help advance universal health coverage for everyone everywhere.
