Target 3.8 – Achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

UHC means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship; that the quality of services is good enough to improve the health of those receiving them; and finally, that people are protected from (hugely important) negative biological effects associated with illness or injury. It’s because healthcare is a fucking human right and not a privilege.

From cervical cancer screening to life-saving cancer treatment, from clean water to safe sanitation and drug safety, UHC promises people the quality care they need at every stage of their lives. It’s a common ideal across the planet, but millions are denied it because of weak health systems, unaffordable care, and inequality. UHC is about constructing humane and sustainable systems, the ones that work for everybody; it is not only for everybody but also affordable.

Achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

In recent years, there has been growing momentum for UHC. Families are being pushed into poverty by medical costs, and nearly 930 million people spend at least 10% of their household budget on health care, according to the World Health Organization. Diseases sound uninsurable, and not just to people but also to livelihoods. UHC is a route to this goal of reducing such inequities and (self)building solidarity.

Moreover, the inadequacies of health systems around the world were laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries with stronger universal health coverage did better in the crisis, and countries with weaker systems fared worse. It’s not just about treating people, but preventing illness and disease; educating people on health issues; building robust systems that can serve everyone in case of the unexpected. UHC is all of these things.

What Does UHC Include

UHC is actually not a policy, but a comprehensive package of policies that consists of:

• Essential health services: Vaccinations during childhood, antenatal care, care in the event of an emergency, treatment for chronic conditions, and mental health care.
• Indemnification: Covering of potential financial loss to an insurance company, arising from claims made by policyholders.
• Right to Healthcare: Where the workers are trained, drugs work, and in facilities we have to go through, when we get good health.
• Access equity: Ensure that poor rural people receive the same quality of care as rich urban people do.
• Lifecycle Care: Comprehensive Services that Meet the Needs of an Individual for Every Life Stage.

Barriers to Achieving UHC

But in much of the country, there are still hurdles to jump, even if the target is identified:

• High Out-of-Pocket Costs

Millions must still pay for medical care in advance, and the cost puts that care out of reach for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

• Weak Health Infrastructure

There are too few hospitals, trained professionals, and essential medicines to begin with, while the shortfalls have been extreme in rural areas and those affected by conflict.

• Inequality in Access

The poor, women, children, and minority populations face more barriers to access to health.

• Political and Policy Gaps

(20,25) Some public sectors have weak policies and low investment in universal health systems.

• Global Health Crises

Pandemics, global warming, and refugee crises have further stretched healthcare systems, exposing them as inadequate.

Steps Toward Achieving UHC

UHC requires continued collaborative action at all levels, such as local, national, and global.

Strengthening Primary Healthcare

• Target the answer to local clinics and community health workers.
• Provide preventive health care, including immunizations, screenings, and health education.

Investing in the Healthcare Workforce

• Train additional doctors, nurses, and midwives.
• Raise wages and improve working conditions to help prevent brain drain.

Leveraging Technology

• Use telemedicine for rural areas.
• Leverage digital health records to enhance productivity.

Global Partnerships

• Collaboration in which governments, international agencies, and NGOs share resources and expertise.

Linkage Between UHC and Sustainable Development

UHC is closely related to SDG 3.8 [United Nations Sustainable Development Goal]. For reducing mortality and enhancing overall health, nothing but a working health system suffices (p.7). Stronger health systems also drive progress in other goals. Poverty, inequality, women’s empowerment, 0and education achievement all improve in the shadow of good or heroic health governance.

The people are healthier and more productive, the children can attend school, and families aren’t trapped in cycles of poverty because of medical bills. Hence, UHC is not a health target but one of the foundations for sustainable development.

The Community Role in UHC

Governments alone cannot build healthcare. Community involvement builds trust, meets local needs, and produces superior outcomes. Local health workers and volunteers, as well as local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), often act as a bridge between formal systems and isolated or hard-to-reach segments of the population.

UHC becomes real only if it’s celebrated, if families feel they own it and celebrate it. UHC is achieved when you provide people with the tools, including access to information and participation in decision-making, to be able to make health a reality.

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