World leaders agreed to provide universal health coverage for all by 2030

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 22nd Sept. World leaders on Thursday agreed to boost their efforts to provide universal health coverage for all by 2030.

According to a new political declaration approved during the high level meeting in New York the Member States also pledged to take concrete action and provide the necessary funding to reach the ambitious goal.

The declaration – Universal Health Coverage: expanding our ambition for health and well-being in a post-COVID world  also saw government’s promise to invest political capital in the push to expand universal care, it stated.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO said that ultimately, to achieve health coverage for all is a political choice.

He emphasized “But the choice is not just made on paper. It is made in budget decisions and policy decisions. Most of all, it is made by investing in primary healthcare, which is the most inclusive, equitable, and efficient path to universal health coverage.”

The declaration was adopted at the second of the three health summits taking place during this year’s General Assembly high-level week.

The summit on pandemic preparedness took place in New York and there will be another one to end tuberculosis scheduled for Friday.

The urgency of the declaration is evident in the staggering statistics.

According to 2021 data some 4.5 billion people, half the world’s population, are not fully covered by essential health services.

WHO said that access to basis healthcare caused financial hardship for two billion people, over 1.3 billion were pushed back or pushed deeper into poverty trying to access basic services and medicines –of widening health inequities.

Secretary General António Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that universal health coverage will correct a “human rights tragedy on a massive scale”, with billions currently unable to access essential health services.

She called on countries to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services for girls and women, while focusing on the most vulnerable populations, including children, refugees, migrants, and those living through humanitarian crises.

“[Countries] must invest in a well-trained, well-paid health workforce capable of delivering safe, effective quality care to all who need it,” she said.

She highlighted the need to increase the presence and voices of women who make up the majority of health workers – in decisions that concern health.

Ms. Mohammed urged massive scale-up in investments, stressing additional support is crucial for developing countries.

“I call on countries to generously support the SDG Stimulus to increase financing for sustainable development to reach at least $500 billion per year, including investments in health systems,” she added.

She argued for effective debt-relief mechanisms and multilateral development bank reform.