Significance of Universal Health Coverage Day

The freedom to live a healthy life is your right. But sadly, there are huge swaths in the world that still look at a healthy life as a distant dream. Lack of finances, resources and health infrastructure are some of the major reasons that have been preventing people across the globe from living a healthy, fulfilling life. In third world countries, the problem is further exacerbated with the wide rift between the rich and poor and expensive health services.

This is where Universal Health Coverage (UHC) come into the picture. This ensures that humans across the globe have access to quality health services without being burdened by the mounting finances. The idea of universal health coverage is basically rooted in our right to health and therefore is a fundamental political goal of countries around the world.

What is UHC?

There are 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations that aim to eradicate poverty. Now, one of these sustainable goals is providing universal health coverage to all.

With the goal of eliminating poverty, a coalition of nearly 700 organizations spanning across 116 member countries comes together on December 12 every year to mark Universal Health Coverage Day. This day is significant globally as it urges the world leaders to start acting on the goal to provide universal health coverage to all of their citizens.

In September 2019, the United Nations General Assembly called for a meeting to deliberate the topic of universal health coverage. The motive of this high-level meeting was to discuss and accelerate the pace of adoption of UHC by member countries. The countries deliberated on ways to ensure quality health insurance coverage through financial risk protection, availability of quality health services at affordable prices.

What does UHC entail?

In order to ensure that everyone in this world gets access to affordable healthcare, the countries need to act on the following:

• Robust healthcare system that can sufficiently meet priority medical needs. This would include required medical services for both non-communicable and communicable diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, malaria. Moreover, adequate services for prenatal and postnatal care is crucial for ensuring universal health coverage
• A mechanism to assist health services financially. Now this can be done in a myriad of ways. In India today, you would find various governmental and non-governmental health insurance coverage policies that aim at ensuring the patient gets adequate medical attention and services without burdening him with rising expenses. In addition, health insurance plans like the Health Insurance plan, available on Bajaj Markets offers comprehensive health insurance coverages that cater to a range of medical issues. The riders or add-on services offer you and your family complete protection against a range of medical conditions according to your needs and goals.
• Easy accessibility of essential medicines and technologies: Everyone, whether rich or poor, should have access to essential, life-saving drugs. For this to happen, each tiny healthcare center in the hinterlands of India must have availability of affordable, essential drugs 24*7.
• Adequate workforce in the healthcare system. Apart from medical staff, countries also require healthcare workers who are dedicated towards creating awareness among the masses that teach people how to stay healthy and ward off diseases. Then, there is a need to detect critical health conditions at the onset so they can be treated successfully.

Why is UHC significant today?

The coalition’s message highlights the significance and importance of universal health coverage which would eventually eradicate global poverty, save millions of lives, and help build resilience in these global communities against the spread of deadly diseases like Ebola and of course, climate change.

The adoption of universal health coverage has to be one of the smartest moves of any government as it directly impacts the population. A healthy country will be more productive and therefore will be a more effective contributor to the country’s economy. Besides that, universal health coverage is also essential keeping in mind our country’s future. The UHC enables children to steer clear of health issues and go to school, and grow up to become effective contributors to nation building. Moreover, it ensures that the poor do not get poorer due to their inability to afford healthcare.

Therefore, UHC is significant for the world, and especially for third world countries like India. In India, rising medical inflation coupled with a spike in lifestyle diseases, have made health insurance coverage a necessity. Thankfully, the market today offers myriad options that cater to a range of medical requirements. Moreover, the Health Insurance plans, available on Bajaj Markets, offer you policy riders like a critical illness cover that ensures you complete protection against a list of diseases. This includes coverage against deadly diseases like cancer, heart attacks and more.

Bajaj Markets, a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv, is a one-stop digital marketplace that has been created for consumers on the go. It offers 500+ financial and lifestyle products, all at one place. At Bajaj Markets, we understand that every individual is different. And that’s why we have invested in creating a proposition – Offers You Value. A value proposition that ensures you get offers which are tailor made for you. We also offer an amazing product range and unique set of online offers across Loans, Insurance, Investment, Payments and an exclusive EMI store. Be it in helping you achieve your financial life goals or offering you the latest gadgets, we strive to offer what you are looking for. From simple and fast loan application processes to seamless and hassle-free claim-settlements, from no cost EMIs to 4 hours product delivery, we work towards fulfilling all your personal and financial needs. What’s more! Now enjoy the same benefits in just one click with our Bajaj Markets App.