Health Coverage: Countries need to join hands to achieve it
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said collaboration among countries at regional and global levels is fundamental to accelerate progress in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“Resource mobilisation to ensure Universal Health Coverage is a fundamental obstacle in many countries. Effective global partnership to formulate healthcare financing strategy for each country could be an important tool to achieve UHC and ultimately SDGs by 2030,” she said.
The PM was addressing the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.
Hasina along with her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez co-chaired the programme held at ECOSOC Chamber of the UN Headquarters.
The PM said, “Inclusive development and progress mean two things -- everyone, irrespective of his or her social background, must get equal opportunity; and everyone must have equal access to the common benefits and resources.”
She said only generating growth and creating wealth are not enough for progress and wellbeing unless the access to and distribution of the wealth are just and proper.
“We’ve found out that securing universal health coverage is one of the pre-conditions for establishing a righteous and fair society as our health equates to our existence. While adopting Agenda 2030 in 2015, we committed that all individuals and communities should be able to receive essential health services.”
Although there has been some major progress, half the world’s population still lacks access to necessary health services. About 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of health expenses, and 800 million people spend at least 10 percent or more of their household budget on healthcare expenses, Hasina said.
She said disadvantaged people often cannot access services from privately-owned health care providers resulting in inequity in overall healthcare benefits.
The PM said a lack of equity and absence of inclusive development may bring political instability and serious erosion of social cohesion.
The equity in healthcare services could be ensured through Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by reaching to the poorest segment of the society with affordable and efficient healthcare services, Hasina added.
“We need to ensure that no family is forced into poverty because of health care expenses.”
In Bangladesh, the PM said, the government has established about 14,000 Community Clinics across the country to provide primary healthcare to rural areas.
She said some 40 patients take services from each community clinic per day and 90 percent of them are women and children. On average, more than 10 million visits are made to these community clinics every month.
Michelle Bachelet, UN high commissioner for human rights; Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International; and Prof Jeffery Sachs, director at the Center for Sustainable Development of Colombia University were among the panelists of the event.
Earlier, Hasina arrived in New York on Sunday afternoon (local time) on an eight-day official visit to the USA to attend the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).She will deliver the country statement at the 74th Annual General Debate of the UNGA on Friday.
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