UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) 2023: A Call to Expand Our Ambition for Health and Well-being

The United Nations General Assembly’s 78th session (UNGA 78 hosted three pivotal High-Level Meetings focused on health from September 20 to September 22, 2023, in New York City. These gatherings presentedan unprecedented opportunity for global leaders to prioritize health on the political agenda, reiterate their dedication to eradicating tuberculosis (TB), advancing universal health coverage (UHC), and bolstering pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

Meeting Highlights:

Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (September 20, 2023)

This gathering provided Member States with an opportunity to garner political support for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, embracing a multidisciplinary approach to address the multifaceted repercussions of pandemics.

Universal Health Coverage (September 21, 2023)

These meetings offered countries and stakeholders a platform to reignite their efforts and accelerate progress toward health for all. It serves as a cornerstone for policy implementation and accountability, building upon the 2019 Political Declaration.

Fight Against Tuberculosis (September 22, 2023)

This meeting was designed to undertake a comprehensive review of the accomplishments and challenges related to the agreed-upon tuberculosis targets outlined in the 2018 Political Declaration from the inaugural General Assembly high-level meeting on TB. The primary focus was on identifying gaps and solutions to expedite progress toward ending the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030.

These High-Level Meetings occured at a pivotal moment as the world contends with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with various humanitarian and climate crises. Upholding the fundamental human right to health and fostering equitable health systems are paramount in realizing UHC, constructing robust measures for pandemic prevention and response, and ultimately putting an end to epidemics such as TB.

Serhii Dmytriev, Executive Director of HAC, participated in this meeting, which allowed him to voice to the key players of the global health sector the position of civil society in the EECA region, the main points of which you can read below.

“Since a similar summit in 2019, some progress has been made and a political declaration has been adopted. However, all countries in the EECA region still lack full access to quality healthcare services. This situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis caused by the unacceptable and terrible war started by the russian federation and other military actions in the region.

After the publication of the zero drafts of the Political Declaration, the organizations of the EECA region formulated the following proposals aimed at improving both the process of interaction with civil society and the text of the Political Declaration itself. In particular, I would like to draw your attention to the key positions from the regional civil society position:

1. The section on “Sustainable Financing” should be complemented and strengthened. We call on governments to make interim commitments to reduce the share of health expenditure covered by private funds to 20 percent by 2026.

2. The Monitoring, Accountability, and Multi-stakeholder Engagement section of the political declaration should include monitoring by affected communities, which is one of the most effective mechanisms for civil society to independently assess the effectiveness of health progress. While recognizing the effectiveness of this tool, we call on governments to commit to ensuring sufficient financial support for such monitoring mechanisms and the need to integrate community-led monitoring into state-level health systems monitoring and evaluation systems.

3. The section of the declaration on “Health Emergency Preparedness” needs to be strengthened. The text of the declaration should reflect the devastating consequences of military actions and the humanitarian crisis in the EECA region in 2022-2023, which showed that at present even the health systems of the most developed countries are not able to ensure compliance with the principles of the HEART principles for the most vulnerable categories of citizens in case of emergencies.

To conclude, I would like to emphasize that the adoption of political declarations at all HLM this week is a step towards saving lives and improving the quality of life; protecting economies and promoting social solidarity; and taking global decisions on global challenges.”

As we approach the midway point toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it becomes increasingly apparent that the world is lagging behind in meeting its health-related targets by 2030. Millions of individuals still lack access to life-saving healthcare interventions, and over 1 billion people find themselves financially devastated by out-of-pocket health expenses, driving hundreds of millions into extreme poverty—a situation further aggravated by the enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on UHC provided countries and stakeholders with an opportunity to rekindle their commitment to ensuring physical and mental health, extending life expectancy for all, and achieving universal health coverage and access to quality healthcare. Let’s remember that the overarching aim is to ensure that no one is left behind.

Also read:

Mobilizing Civil Society in the EECA Region for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and HIV Advocacy

EECA’s proposals for inclusion in a political declaration on UHC