WHO welcomes landmark UN declaration on universal health coverage
23 September 2019
- Today world leaders adopted a high-level United Nations Political Declaration on universal health coverage (UHC), the most comprehensive set of health commitments ever adopted at this level.
“This declaration represents a landmark for global health and development,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at WHO. “The world has 11 years left to make good on its sustainable development goals. Universal health coverage is key to ensuring that happens.”
He added: “Universal health coverage is a political choice: today world leaders have signaled their readiness to make that choice. I congratulate them.”
The declaration comes the day after the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners flagged the need to double health coverage between now and 2030 or leave up to 5 billion people unable to access health care.
In adopting the declaration, U.N. Member States have committed to advance towards UHC by investing in four major areas around primary health care.
These include mechanisms to ensure no one suffers financial hardship because they have had to pay for healthcare out of their own pockets and implementing high-impact health interventions to combat diseases and protect women’s and children’s health.
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