UHC was the buzzword at all global, regional and national health meetings, culminating in the UN High-Level Meeting on UHC during the United National General Assembly in September 2019. At the meeting, member states adopted a pivotal political declaration, articulating a clear commitment at the highest level to advancing UHC.
This commitment has been echoed in other forums this year:
We end 2019 on a tide of political momentum and optimism that health for all is achievable. In 2020, we need to see this momentum and optimism translated by governments into action in national contexts. Indeed, the global theme for UHC is calling on world leaders to ‘keep the promise of health for all’ they made at the high-level meeting on UHC in September 2019.
My wish list for UHC is long but here are my three priorities for 2020:
While the focus of my wish list is on government action, this does not excuse other stakeholders – we must support governments to ensure that UHC and health for all becomes a reality, and hold them to account for the commitments made in 2019. We all have a role to play in coming together to advance UHC in all the contexts we work and live in.
My hope is that by UHC Day in 2020, I will be reflecting on the successes of the above actions.
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Emma Mulhern
Emma is Sightsavers’ Health Policy Adviser, and is based in the United Kingdom.
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