The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced setting up of a dedicated unit that will focus on achieving universal health coverage (UHC), which is target 3.8 of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
“The goals within SDGs emphasise the need to achieve UHC by ensuring financial risk protection and improving access to essential health care services for those marginalised. So far, the quality of services has been neglected within the UHC dialogue. We at the WHO believe that there has been a lack of centre of gravity for quality. It is with this in mind that a unit is being formed to address UHC & quality,” said Shams Syed from the WHO during the opening plenary of the Prince Mahidol Award Conference here.
This special unit will focus on three key aspects: alignment of country engagements and global framework, health service resilience, and quality and lastly establishing partnerships to reach these goals. “We will launch a global learning lab for UHC, which will help in aligning national policies and strategies to reach UHC. The aspect of health service resilience, will focus on learning from experiences in recovery in Ebola-affected countries — especially by establishing linkages between UHC, post shock recovery,” Mr. Syed added.
This year, the prestigious award (in medicine) was conferred upon Professor Morton Mower from the United States for invention of the Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, a device that helps monitor heart rate and rhythm, and deliver electrical current when abnormality is detected.
Sir Michael Marmot of the U.K. won the award in public health for his evidence-based evaluation of the role of Social Determinants of Health, a concept adopted by the British government and the WHO to eliminate health inequities.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Sir Michael said that increasing inequality was threatening the democratic legitimacy of our world. “Inequality brings with it other social evils like ill health and crime. It damages health. Absolute inequality means disempowerment of a severe kind and not being able to afford food and shelter. Our response to this inequality in health is working towards UHC.”
