Universal Health Coverage Day 2020

COVID-19 struck only a few months after world leaders endorsed of the landmark Political Declaration on UHC - committing to accelerate efforts towards the achievement of universal health coverage so that everyone can access the health services they require, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship as a result.

The pandemic is testing our resolve to deliver health for all and threatens to undo decades of progress. It has disrupted delivery of essential health services in many countries, stretched resources to the limits, and revealed the impact of decades of underinvestment in primary care and essential public health functions.

A series of pulse surveys reveal slow-downs and setbacks in delivering key health services and reaching globally agreed targets. Initiatives to boost immunization, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, care for the ageing, and to end diseases have all been negatively impacted.

This puts additional pressure on vulnerable population groups with unmet health needs. Even before the crisis, at least half of the world’s population did not have full coverage of essential health services and about 100 million people were pushed into extreme poverty because they have had to spend on health care beyond their ability to pay.

This year’s UHC Day theme reminds us of our most urgent priority:

HEALTH FOR ALL: PROTECT EVERYONE.

To end this crisis and build a safer and healthier future, we must invest in health systems that protect us all—now.

UHC Day 2020 campaign site

Universal Health Coverage Day on 12 December is the annual rallying point for the growing movement for health for all. It marks the anniversary of the United Nations’ historic and unanimous endorsement of universal health coverage in 2012.

Learn more

UHC Partnership

UHC2030

Primary Health Care Operational Framework

Primary health care - health topic page

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

State of the World’s Nursing report

Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All

2021 Year of health and care workers

Stay tuned!

The WHO UHC Day virtual event will stream live on this page on 11 December 2020, 14:00-15:25, CET.

This virtual event will highlight major progress in countries, the challenges remaining, and how the initiatives and capacities developed by WHO and its partners as part of the UHC movement provide key support for effective health system functioning in the COVID-19 pandemic context.

WHO’s new Primary Health Care (PHC) Special Programme and the new WHO UHC Compendium of Health Interventions will be launched at the event.