Every year, December 12 is observed as Universal Health Day (also known as Universal Health Coverage Day—UHC Day), which is the annual major focus of the growing Universal Health campaign to guarantee that everybody, anywhere, has access to affordable health care, when and when they need it, without leading them to financial hardship.
International Universal Health Coverage Day is designed to raise awareness with multi-stakeholder partners about the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage. On December 12, each year, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the experiences of the millions of individuals still waiting for health care. They support what has so far been accomplished, call on politicians to make greater and smarter health investments, and inspire a variety of organization’s to commit themselves to helping get the world closer to UHC by 2030.
What is Universal Health Coverage?
Universal health coverage is defined as ensuring that all individuals have sufficient quality access to the necessary health services (including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation) to be effective, while also ensuring that the user is not exposed to financial hardship by the use of these services. Universal health coverage has therefore become the main objective and a priority objective of the WHO for health reform in many countries.
The theme of Universal Health Coverage Day 2024
This year, the theme of Universal Health Coverage Day 2024 is Health: It’s on the government!
In 2015, all nations’ leaders vowed to work toward a world where everyone can enjoy long, healthy lives by embracing the Sustainable Development Agenda. In the political statements passed at the UHC High-Level Meetings in 2019 and 2023, they reiterated these pledges. Still, vital healthcare is unavailable to 4.5 billion people.
This year’s theme, “Health: It’s on the government,” highlights the responsibility of governments to guarantee that everyone has access to healthcare and other essentials like food.
In observance of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2024, the WHO is urging all national governments to immediately address the critical need to establish financial protections.
We need to invest in health systems that protect us all in order to end that crisis and build a healthier and safer future.
Swikriti Dandotia
