Investing in prevention is a key to health for all
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to high quality health care services without financial hardship.
To reinforce the right to health for all, achieving UHC has its own Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target adopted by UN Member States in 2015.
SDG 3.8 sets out to: “achieve UHC, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.”
In September 2023, the United Nations will hold the 2nd High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (HLM on UHC) in New York, convening Member States including Australia, to agree ways forward to accelerate progress to health for all.
In coming months governments will take stock of progress since the first UN HLM on UHC in 2019, and identify gaps and opportunities to act locally and globally to enhance UHC in pursuit of national and global commitments.
To strengthen the Primary Health Care (PHC)-oriented component of Australia’s UHC model, ACDPA advocates comprehensive health checks and screening to support management of risk and early detection to mitigate progression of chronic disease. We also advocate equitable access to treatment, support, and secondary prevention to improve health outcomes.
Additionally, as part of PHC and outside of the health system, ACDPA advocates greater investment in primary prevention and health promotion, so that people are supported to stay healthier for longer, minimising the need to interact with health services.
The global NCD Alliance is coordinating the global chronic disease community’s efforts to raise awareness and advocacy to ensure UHC delivers health for all including people at risk of and living with chronic diseases. Read more on 'Bridging the Care Gap'? on the Global Week for Action on NCDs campaign website.
Throughout 2023, NCD Alliance will publish a series of blogs, information, and advocacy resources relating to UHC and bridging the global care gap for chronic disease. ACDPA’s Executive Officer, Lucy Westerman, contributed a blog on the importance of primary prevention of chronic disease for healthier people, prosperity, security and more resilient health systems.
Published 23 March 2023
