International Universal Health Coverage Day

On 12 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a resolution urging countries to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) – the idea that everyone, everywhere should have access to quality, affordable health care. On 12 December 2017, the United Nations proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) by resolution 72/138.

International Universal Health Coverage Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners. Each year on 12 December, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030.

Recommended readings

• Critical considerations and actions for achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health in the context of universal health coverage through a primary health care approach
• Universal Health Coverage Day 2020! Health For All: Protect Everyone!
• Bridging a Gap in Universal Health Coverage for the Poorest Billion
• Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage
• Countries must invest at least 1% more of GDP on PHC to eliminate glaring coverage gaps
• Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care 2018
• WHO establishes Council on the Economics of Health for All
• Health: A Political Choice – Act Now, Together [Book]
• Bridging a Gap in Universal Health Coverage for the Poorest Billion
• New evaluation of universal health coverage shows that the world will likely fall short of WHO goal
• World Health Statistics 2020: Monitoring health for the SDGs
• International Universal Health Coverage Day: Keep the Promise!
• 2019 Monitoring Report: Primary Health Care on the Road to Universal Health Coverage