World Heart Federation

World Universal Health Coverage Day: Bridging the gap between commitments and action for cardiovascular health

Thursday 12 December 2024 marks seven years since World Universal Health Coverage Day was established, in recognition of the importance of strong, resilient health systems to ensure access to health services for all. The term Universal Health Coverage expresses into words the powerful goal of tackling health inequalities, which continue to be deeply rooted within and between countries. Health is a basic human right and as such it should be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their social and economic status or their geographical location. Yet, seven years later and after a strong UN Political Declaration on UHC was approved at the UN General Assembly in 2019, little progress has been made. The latest State of UHC Commitments Report indicates that while countries made more commitments to ensuring UHC, they have taken very few concrete steps to implement them. Health coverage is still far from being universal, with half of the world population still unable to access health services and over 2 billion individuals facing financial hardship or falling into poverty to be able to afford care.

As the leading cause of death worldwide, killing over 20.5 million people every year, cardiovascular disease (CVD) often requires lifelong treatment and care and like other chronic conditions is a major contributor to catastrophic health expenditures (CHE). Low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), where 80% of premature CVD deaths occur, allocate significantly less funding for health services compared to high-income countries, exposing individuals, families and communities to dangerous financial consequences and forcing them to make an unfair choice between their health and basic needs, such as food and shelter.

Read more: https://world-heart-federation.org/news/world-universal-health-coverage-day-bridging-the-gap-between-commitments-and-action-for-cardiovascular-health/