Universal health coverage post-2015: Putting people first

Dec 12, 2014 marks the world’s first Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. Defined in the World Health Report 2010, UHC means that all people who need quality, essential health services (prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation) receive them without enduring financial hardship.

UHC also means different things to different people. Vivian Lin, health systems director (WHO regional office for the Western Pacific), told The Lancet, “some defi ne UHC as a journey or an aspiration but it is actually a strategy to get to equitable and sustainable outcomes”. UHC is indeed considered one of the key components of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be finalised in September, 2015. The SDG Open Working Group proposal target 3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all people at all ages. Arguably, healthy populations are the basic engine to reach sustainable development, and health contributes to all 17 SDG targets. 

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