“Health Is A Human Right. No One Should Get Sick and Die Just Because They Are Poor, Or Because They Cannot Access the Health Services They Need”
Directorate of Health & Family Welfare
Kohima, Nagaland
The World Health Organization was founded on the principle that all people should be able to realize their right to the highest possible level of health.
“Health for all “has therefore been the guiding vision of WHO for more than seven decades. It’s also the impetus behind the current organization – wide drive to support countries in moving towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Along with the rest of the world, Nagaland also observes World Health Day 2018 on the theme “Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere”.
Experience has illustrated, time and again, that Universal Health Coverage is achieved when political will is strong.
So in this 70th anniversary year, WHO is calling on world leaders to live up to the pledges they made when they agreed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015, and commit to concrete steps to advance the health of all people. This means ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship.
The Organization will maintain a high-profile focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) via series of events through 2018, starting on World Health Day on 7th April with global and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.
Why Universal health coverage matters?
Countries that invest in Universal Health Coverage (UHC) make a sound investment in their human capital. In recent decades, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has emerged as a key strategy to make progress towards other health-related and broader development goals. Access to essential quality care and financial protection not only enhances people’s health and life expectancy, it also protects countries from epidemics, reduces poverty and the risk of hunger, creates jobs, drives economic growth and enhances gender equality.
What World Health Day can do?
Some countries have already made significant progress towards universal health coverage. But half the world’s population is still unable to obtain the health services they need. If countries are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target, one billion more people need to benefit from Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2023.
World Health Day will shine a spotlight on the need for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – and the advantages it can bring. WHO and its partners will share examples of steps to take to get there through a series of events and conversations held at multiple levels.
“No one should have to choose between death and financial hardship. No one should have to choose between buying medicine and buying food.”
Throughout 2018, we aim to inspire, motivate and guide Universal Health Coverage (UHC) stakeholders to make commitments towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
• Inspire – by highlighting policy-makers’ power to transform the health of their nation, framing the challenge as exciting and ambitious, and inviting them to be a part of the change. • Motivate – by sharing examples of how countries are already progressing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and encourage others to find their own path. • Guide – by providing tools for structured policy dialogue on how to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) domestically or supporting such efforts in other countries (e.g. expanding service coverage, improving of services, reducing out-of-pocket payments).
At least half the world’s people do not receive the essential health services they need. Get the tools you need to raise awareness and help advance universal health coverage for everyone everywhere.
