Each year on 12 December, the world celebrates International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day), an official UN-designated day, to raise awareness of the need for strong, equitable and resilient health systems and universal health coverage (UHC). UHC is based on the principle that everyone, everywhere should have access to quality essential health services without suffering financial hardship. It is a goal that cuts across all health targets and is such a beacon of hope for a healthier and more equitable world. UHC Day marks the anniversary of the UN’s historic and unanimous endorsement of UHC in 2012 as an essential priority for international development. Since then, it has become the annual rallying point for the growing movement for health for all. Every 12 December (12.12), advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, to call on leaders to make smarter investments in health and to remind the world the imperative of Health for All. Universal Health Coverage Day 2020 against the backdrop of a global pandemic that has claimed millions of lives, the case for universal health coverage is clear. Join us to tell leaders that UHC is a moral and smart investment that cannot wait.
UHC in a nutshell
12.12.2012 : The United Nations unanimously endorses a historic resolution urging all countries to accelerate progress toward UHC as an essential priority for international development.
12.12.2014 : The Universal Health Coverage Coalition begins to celebrate 12 December as UHC Day, to hold leaders accountable to their promise of #HealthForAll.
12.12.2017 : The United Nations officially designates 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day.
12.12.2019 : A global movement calls on world leaders to Keep the Promise they made at the 2019 High-Level Meeting on UHC and achieve #HealthForAll by 2030.
12.12.2020 : Nearly one year after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported to the World Health Organization, the UHC movement will call for investments in health systems that protect everyone.
Theme for Universal Health Coverage Day 2020
The theme of UHC Day 2020 is ‘Health for all: protect everyone. To end this crisis and build a safer and healthier future, we must invest in health systems that protect us all — now” . UHC Day Campaign on 12 December 2020 will mark one year since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. UHC Day Campaign 2020 must remind the world that health for all is not a long-term wish, but an urgent priority to end this crisis and emerge stronger. Considering this global challenge that we are currently facing, the theme and primary narrative of campaigns this year will be: “HEALTH FOR ALL: PROTECT EVERYONE “. To end this crisis and build a safer and healthier future, we must invest in health systems that protect us all — now.” The choice is not between health security or UHC: strong, equitable systems grounded in primary health care and human rights are needed for both. It is critical not to wait until the crisis is past to accelerate political and financial commitments to achieve UHC. Instead, leaders must prioritize investments in strong, equitable health systems that protect everyone, respond to emergencies and leave no one behind in the future. In 2020, UHC Day campaign will evolve to the next stage of the global movement – more localized and sustainable campaigns, i.e. more digital campaign materials will be made available so that local campaigners can customize them to include their local languages and adapt them to their local contexts.
HEALTH FOR ALL: PROTECT EVERYONE.
To end this crisis and build a safer and healthier future,
we must invest in health systems that protect us all — now
Hey there, I am Nirdesh Baral, founder of Nepal Health Magazine. I am a Tech geek by passion , Public health practitioner by profession and an Ailurophile by heart and a patriot by birth