Universal Health Coverage Day

Universal Health Coverage Day, commemorated each 12 December, is the anniversary of the first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries to provide affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere.

UHC Day has become the annual rallying point for the growing global movement for health for all. Each year on 12.12, voices are raised to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, to call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and to remind the world that health for all is imperative for the world we want.

Universal health coverage

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means everyone can access the quality health services they need without financial hardship.

• WHO: All people, including the poorest and most vulnerable.
• WHAT: Full range of essential health services, including prevention, treatment, hospital care and pain control.
• HOW: Costs shared among entire population through pre- payment and risk-pooling, rather than shouldered by the sick. Access should be based on need and unrelated to ability to pay.

UHC is a means to promote the human right to health. Universal health coverage has been included in the new Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that all UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030. This includes financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

Theme for 2023

The theme for 2023 is "Health For All: Time for Action".

The case for universal health coverage (UHC) is clear. UHC ensures all people, everywhere, can get the quality health services they need without financial hardship. It is key to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals and to coping with the interlocking health, humanitarian and climate crises our world is facing.

Now that the global community has renewed its commitment to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) for all worldwide with the adoption of the United Nations Political Declaration on UHC (21 September 2023), it is time for immediate and tangible steps that get progress back on track. 

And yet:

• Half of the world’s population does not have access to essential health services.
• An estimated 2 billion people face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health expenses, including 344 million people living in extreme poverty.
• Since the launch of the SDGs in 2015 – even before the COVID-19 pandemic – the expansion of health service coverage had stalled and financial protection had deteriorated.
• The pandemic has set countries further back in their journey towards universal health coverage. It has also showed why UHC is so important.

Why Health for all

There is growing global consensus that universal health coverage is a smart investment and an achievable goal everywhere. World leaders have affirmed that health is a human right, that no one should go bankrupt when they get sick, and that universal health coverage underpins our collective security and prosperity. Universal health coverage improves how health care is financed and delivered – so it is more accessible, more equitable and more effective.

The goal of universal health coverage is to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. This requires:

• a strong, efficient, well-run health system;
• a system for financing health services;
• access to essential medicines and technologies;
• a sufficient capacity of well-trained, motivated health workers.

Source : WHO

Initiatives for UHC in India

• The National Health Policy 2017 envisages the attainment of the highest possible level of health without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.
• The Government of India is committed to improve immunization coverage and achieve full immunization coverage of 90 percent. Launch of massive routine immunization (RI) campaigns, such as Mission Indradhanush (MI) and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI), in part, reflects government’s efforts under Universal Immunization Program to reduce child mortality and morbidity. To boost the RI coverage in the country, Government introduced Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 to ensure reaching the unreached with all available vaccines and accelerate the coverage of children and pregnant women in the identified districts and blocks. Since 2014, Rotavirus vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), and the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, and also the JE vaccine for adults have also been launched.
• The Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program has been launched to provide free services through Dialysis Units under Free Drugs and Diagnostics Program.
• AMRIT outlets have been established to provide subsidised medicines
• To provide comprehensive primary care, more than 1.33 lakh Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWCs) have now become operational and are working as hubs of teleconsultations services
• e-Sanjeevani, flagship initiative of Govt of India in digital health, elaborating that it has successfully saved 21.59 km per health visit to the patient, and enabled savings of Rs 941.51 in terms of direct and indirect cost per health visit leading to a saving of Rs 7,522 crore across the country. These teleconsultations are available at AB-HWCs
• Universal screening of common NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension and common cancers at the sub-centre and Primary Health Centre has been initiated.
• Through the two wings of Ayushman Bharat, the Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY), the government has been making quality healthcare affordable and accessible for crores of people in the country.

Laqshya| Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative

There is enough evidence that supports the fact that improving the quality of care in Labour rooms especially on the day of birth, is central to maternal and neonatal survival. Recognizing this fact, Government of India has launched Laqshya- Labor Room Quality Improvement Initiative.

LaQshya is expected to improve the quality of care that is being provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres, thereby preventing the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth. This initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges (MCs) besides District Hospitals (DHs), and high delivery load Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs).

The initiative plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and also incentivize facilities achieving the targets outlined. The goal of this initiative is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care.

Related resources

1. All about Universal Health Coverage