Universal Health Coverage

World Health Organization (WHO) has come out with a theme ‘Universal Health Coverage’ for its annual day celebration on 7 April 2022. Looking at the lack of health care facilities in different countries, WHO is working hard towards creation of awareness that health is a human right. Universal Health Coverage implies that people should have the access to the health services without any financial difficulty. Every individual on earth should have access to the right care at the right time and at the right place.

Health care means promotion of health, prevention of diseases, and when disease occurs, its diagnosis, and treatment, and rehabilitation. All these facilities should be available to everyone at a manageable cost. It is a common observation that people living in poverty often part their assets and spends their savings to meet the expenditure on healthcare. This shatters the life of the family. Universal Health Coverage helps them to get quality health care and offers protection from ill effects of spending a large amount of money on health care.¹

United Nations (UN) initiative has offered a set of 17 sustainable goals for the countries to be achieved by 2030. The goals include eradication of poverty, good health and well being, clean water supply, proper sanitation, gender equality, climate action. Thus, the sustainable goals of UN and Universal Health Coverage of WHO have similar objectives.²

Each country has its own problems and challenges. The yardstick of measurement of Universal Health Coverage varies from country-to-country as their needs are different. However, there are some common features which should be included in the measurement while countries are making progress to achieve their goal. These include determination of the proportion of population that has access to quality health care and the proportion of population that spends a large amount of their income on health.

It is very difficult for any country to offer free health services for every citizen on a sustainable basis. It has to encourage people to have a comprehensive health insurance. Such a measure offers very good financial protection during health-related difficulties. Medical insurance will be of great help at the time of healthrelated mishaps, and deadly diseases.

The economic growth of the country is dependent on the health of the Nation. Health being a fundamental human right, every country aims to achieve the social goal. Investment in the health sector is important to make the Nation healthy, in turn contributing to the economic growth. But in practice, it is not happening. The investment in health sector is inadequate adversely affecting human development.

India is considered as one of the fast-growing economies in the world. There is a need to develop essential components of primary health care consisting of safe water supply, basic sanitation, food supply, proper nutrition, and health care.³ Many schemes have been launched by the Government under the National Health mission such as Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, Rastriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Rastriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, Shishu Suraksha Karyakram to improve the health of different age groups from infancy to adolescence, and of women. In addition, there are programs to control/eradicate AIDS, tuberculosis, and leprosy. Mission Indradhanush aims to improve coverage of immunization in the country. There is National Mental Health Program for mental health care. Pulse Polio program aims to eliminate polio in India.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana has been established to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/reliable tertiary healthcare services. Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi offers financial assistance to the patients below poverty line suffering from life-threatening illnesses. There is National Tobacco Control Program to bring greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use. Integrated Child Development Service aims to improve the nutrition and health status of children below six years.

Rashtriya Swassthya Bima Yojana is a government-run health insurance program to provide health insurance coverage to unorganized sector workers below poverty line and their family.

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body and mind. Physical fitness opens the gateway of happiness. We have to put our efforts to keep the body in good health. Only then health becomes real wealth.