WHY HEALTH FOR ALL?

There is growing global consensus that universal health coverage is a smart investment and an achievable goal everywhere.

World leaders including the G7, The Elders and African heads of state have affirmed that health is a human right, that no one should go bankrupt when they get sick, and that universal health coverage underpins our collective security and prosperity.

Universal health coverage improves how health care is financed and delivered – so it is more accessible, more equitable and more effective.

NOBODY SHOULD GO BANKRUPT WHEN THEY GET SICK.


  • Lack of affordable, quality health care traps families and nations in poverty.
  • Worldwide, 400 million people lack the most basic life-saving health care, and 17% of people in low- and middle-income countries are pushed or further pushed into poverty (US$2/day) because of health spending.
  • Up to one-third of households in Africa and Southeast Asia borrow money or sell assets to pay for health care.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE IS ATTAINABLE.


  • 100+ low- and middle-income countries, home to three-quarters of the world’s population, have taken steps to deliver universal health coverage.
  • Countries implementing universal health coverage are seeing the benefits: healthier communities and stronger economies.
  • There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Countries are designing their own unique pathways toward health for all and exchanging lessons learned.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE PROMOTES WELL-BEING.


  • The Ebola crisis was a stark reminder of the urgent need to strengthen health systems.
  • The poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of preventable mother and child deaths, infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
  • To effectively fight these threats, we must reach everyone, everywhere, with health care.

HEALTH TRANSFORMS COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES.


  • Every $1 that a country invests in health today can produce up to $20 in full-income growth within a generation.
  • When health care is accessible and affordable, families can send their children to school, start a business and save for emergencies.
  • Universal health coverage pays a resilience dividend. In times of distress, health minimizes the shock to lives and livelihoods. In times of calm, health promotes community cohesion and economic productivity.

HEALTH IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.


  • Access to quality health care should never depend on where you live, how much money you have or your race, gender or age.
  • The World Health Organization’s constitution affirms that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental human right.
  • More than half of the world’s countries have included the right to health, public health or medical care in their national constitutions.

Sources: World Health Organization, World Bank Group, The Rockefeller Foundation, UNAIDS, Action for Global Health, The NCD Alliance, The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health