Universal Health Coverage Day 2018

Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the Time for Collective Action 12 December 2018, Cairo ‒ Universal Health Coverage (UHC) 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 is a simple idea: that everyone should be able to access the health services they need, without suffering financial hardship. Globally, we have a lot of work to do to realise that dream,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). “At least half of the world's population cannot access essential services like vaccination, essential medicines, or the ability to see a health worker. And every year, nearly 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty due to out-of-pocket health spending.” In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, around 40% of health expenditure comes directly from people’s pockets, and most people cannot afford it. People with low incomes and without social protection are the hardest hit. As a result, an estimated 7.5 million people are pushed into poverty every year in the Region due to spending on health. UHC has a special relevance to people living in countries with acute and prolonged emergency situations, and therefore for the Region, given that half of the Read more...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news