UHC Day 2021
Leave No One’s Health Behind
December 12th
Every year on 12 December, the world celebrates International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day). The official UN-designated day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong, equitable and resilient health systems and universal health coverage (UHC). UHC is based on the principle that everyone, everywhere should have access to quality essential health services without suffering financial hardship. It is a goal that cuts across all health targets and is a beacon of hope for a healthier and more equitable world.
UHC Day marks the anniversary of the UN’s historic and unanimous endorsement of UHC in 2012 as an essential priority for international development. Since then, it has become the annual rallying point for the growing movement for health for all. Every 12.12, advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, to call on leaders to make smarter investments in health and to remind the world about the imperative of Health for All.
Share facts about #UHCDay2021
These communication tools are available to share and print in celebration of UHC Day. Feel free to display and/or distribute on social media. On Twitter please tag @Amref_Worldwide when posting graphics from this social media toolkit.
# Primary Hashtags
#UHCInAfrica
#AHAICommissionReport
#UHCDay2021
#CPHIA2021
# Secondary Hashtags
#HealthForAll
#LeaveNoOnesHealthBehind
Twitter Graphics
Click any image to preview, download
Twitter Graphics
Click any image to preview, download
Key Messages and Tweets
Africa’s economic growth trajectory was promising pre- COVID-19 and is likely to bounce back. If this happens, it will offer an opportunity to mobilise additional resources in healthcare and address the social determinants of health. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential to stimulate economic development of African countries with knock-on effects on the health sector. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The vast network of African traditional healthcare providers offers an opportunity to enhance access to primary healthcare services, especially preventive care. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Political commitments to UHC need to be utilised to advocate for more investments in UHC-related reforms and for more African countries to enact UHC policies and legislations (not centred on health insurance reforms alone). https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The potential for a demographic dividend presents an opportunity to improve labour productivity, which could have positive outcomes for the health sector. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Africa has a developed private sector that could be leveraged to complement the public sector in delivering UHC. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Africa needs to leverage its innovation ecosystem, increasing mobile connectivity and a boom in digital technologies, and more broadly, the potential that the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) holds, in order to transform its health systems. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Africa can leverage the strong civil society ecosystem to advocate for UHC and to hold governments and other actors accountable. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Africa has a large pool of well-trained and competent health professionals who have potential to provide the transformative leadership for UHC. There is need for more incentives to retain the work-force to support Africa’s HRH needs. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The health system strengthening efforts made in response to COVID-19 provide an opportunity for African countries to make comprehensive investments in health that will strengthen the foundation for UHC. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
African countries need to transform their health systems, in ways that address the challenges while taking advantage of prevailing opportunities and building on the rich and positive cultural values to get buy-in and ownership. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Civil society should advocate for the prioritisation of UHC and for increased inclusivity, dialogue, and accountability that puts the people at the centre of UHC reforms. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
Private sector should play a complementary role to governments and increase investments in expanding access to services and local manufacturing of healthcare commodities. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The WHO, the UN agencies and other actors should translate UHC into simplified operational language within the principles of Primary Health Care as articulated in the Alma Ata Declaration and reconfirmed in Astana. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021
The AUC and WHO should provide leadership to all actors to maintain the visibility of PHC principles and balance the current pre-eminence of commoditisation of UHC. https://bit.ly/3lK1z60 #UHCInAfrica #AHAICommissionReport #UHCDay2021