Cameron Boyle
Digital Campaigns and Media Officer, Action for Global Health
People all over the world should be able to access healthcare equitably. For global health equity to be possible, there are three areas to consider.
Health is a fundamental human right. Yet, all over the world, millions of people are denied this right because we are yet to achieve global health equity. We have an opportunity to craft a more certain future, where everyone can access necessary healthcare without being forced into financial hardship. To achieve this, there are a number of challenges that must be addressed.
Health workforce: addressing shortages
A major obstacle to achieving health for all is the global health worker shortage. The UK must prioritise the recruitment, retention, remuneration and security of health workers globally and address the critical lack of healthcare specialists. It must also establish a strong network of community health workers — integrated into national health systems — trained to do basic diagnosis and provide health education to strengthen links between communities and health facilities.
A major obstacle to achieving health for
all is the global health worker shortage.
Financing: challenge that restricts life
The UK Government’s decision to cut the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to 0.5% is having a devastating impact on health. For example, hundreds of thousands more women will face unsafe abortions; thousands will die in pregnancy and childbirth, deepening existing health inequities.
To overcome this challenge, the UK must utilise key moments in 2023 to call for increased investments in healthcare. One such moment is on 23 September, as the UN hosts its High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to build political leadership. The UK must play a key role in championing UHC at this meeting, particularly as a nation with decades of experience delivering publicly funded healthcare, which is free at the point of use.
Equity and universal health coverage
A central component of health equity, UHC refers to a world where everyone has access to all the quality healthcare they need without being forced into financial hardship. However, to ensure UHC is truly universal, it must be framed in terms of availability, affordability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of healthcare.
It must also be based on universal design principles to ensure accessibility for all people across the life course, especially those who face structural barriers to accessing healthcare. The road ahead will prove challenging. But by following these steps to overcome the obstacles, we can create a world where healthcare is for all, not just the select few.