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ISSUE 13: UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE, BUILD THE WORLD WE WANT; A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR ALL
Message from Editor in Chief
Each year on 12 December, Universal Health Coverage Day marks the date to call on leaders to make smarter investments and accelerate efforts towards “Health for All”. In the world we want, everyone everywhere has access to quality healthcare whenever they need it without suffering financial hardship. Universal health coverage lifts people out of poverty, promotes the well-being of families and communities, protects against public health crises, and moves us toward health for all. This year’s theme, “Build the world we want: A healthy future for all,” emphasizes that in order to build strong health systems we need equity, trust, healthy environments, investments and accountability. The UHC service coverage index SDG indicator 3.8.1 increased from 45 in 2000 to 67 in 2019, but 30% of the world’s population still could not access essential health services. Almost 2 billion people are facing catastrophic or impoverishing health spending. Inequalities continue to be a fundamental challenge for UHC as aggregated data masks within-country inequalities in service coverage. The COVID- 19 pandemic further disrupted essential services in 92% of countries. The National Health Vision 2016-2025 recognizes universal health coverage as top priority among Pakistan's health objectives and is aligned with national programs and policies such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy and pro-poor social protection initiatives. This issue include interview of our very special guest Dr. Ayesha Babar Kawish, physician with expertise in public health with 10 years clinical experience in Medicine and Paediatrics and 15 years’ experience of academia. This issue also include global facts about universal health coverage, challenges towards SDG 3.8.1, global success stories and case studies from Pakistan for health equity. Moreover, the issue also highlights action framework for universal health coverage in Pakistan along with their real stories of healthcare professionals and consumers on primary healthcare.
