An urgent repurposing of the UHC agenda is needed to identify and remedy the gaps in access to healthcare for those who need it most, argue Vinayak Bhardwaj and Mit Philips
Delegates met last week at the United Nations high level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) at a perilous time for global health. There is a gulf between the 2030 sustainable development goals to achieve quality, affordable care for everyone everywhere, and the reality that millions of people in the world face. An urgent repurposing of current universal health coverage targets is required to tackle the reality of diminishing funds for health, closure of vital health programmes for vulnerable people, and the development of universal health coverage country plans that are adapted to crises and to the needs of people on the move.
External support for health through donor aid and multi-lateral funding is decreasing, with major donor countries—including the UK and Sweden—announcing repeated cuts and reauthorisation of the President's Emergency Plan for …