Below are extracts from a Comment in The Lancet Global Health, and a note from me.
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The Coalition of Partnerships for Universal Health Coverage and Global Health calls on all countries to urgently reinvigorate progress towards health for all.
When entire population groups cannot access essential health services, including prevention and response services in times of crisis, we are not protecting and delivering on the right to health.
As countries meet in July for the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) to discuss recovery from COVID-19 and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals,3 we call on all countries to urgently prioritise strengthening resilient and equitable health systems to achieve universal health coverage. Univeral health coverage is a matter of health, rights, and justice, and also a key enabler of human security...
People need to be informed about the drivers of health and wellbeing...
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NOTE (NPW): It is good to see information being emphasised more and more in papers on global health. The availability of relevant, reliable healthcare information is a key determinant of the right to health and of universal health coverage. This issue was explored in depth by HIFA steering group members (Geoff Royston, Chris Zielinski and me) in a paper in BMJ Global Health: Universal access to essential health information: accelerating progress towards universal health coverage and other SDG health targets. https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/5/e002475.full
We look forward to explore the issues further over the coming weeks and months, particularly in relation to our upcoming Global stakeholder consultation.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
