Time for Action: The 2023 UHC Day campaign needs your voice
UHC Day Update #4
Universal Health Coverage Day is less than two months away, on 12 December 2023. The voices of frontline advocates are needed now more than ever.
In this issue we share: the campaign toolkit for UHC Day; key messages from the UHC Day virtual launch; and resources to help 12.12.23 campaigners translate the outcomes of the September UN High-Level Meeting on UHC into action at the local, regional and national levels.
1. The UHC Day campaign toolkit is available!
The toolkit provides suggested social media copy, graphics and other resources for campaigners.
The UHC Day 2023 theme is Health for All: Time for Action, emphasizing the urgency of getting progress towards health for all back on track. The five subthemes provide concrete actions to achieve universal health coverage (UHC):
Invest in universal health coverage
Strengthen health systems
Expand primary health care
Work across sectors and communities
Promote innovation to reach everyone
2. Key messages from the virtual launch
On 18 October, UHC advocates around the world joined a virtual launch of the UHC Day 2023 campaign.
Interpretation available in English, French, Spanish and international sign language
The launch featured two panels to discuss how UHC Day campaigners can translate the Political Declaration from the High-Level Meeting on UHC into concrete actions and progress.
From top left: Mahmood Al-Hamody, Rispah Walumbe and Justin Koonin (first panel); Harjyot Khosa, Léandre Hounhoui and Darlton John (second panel); Eliana Monteforte (moderator)
The first panel focused on the state of the UHC movement following the High-Level Meeting. The panel featured Mahmood Al-Hamody, Doctor and former Vice President, International Federation of Medical Students Associations; Rispah Walumbe, Senior Health Policy Advisor, Amref Health Africa; and Justin Koonin, Co-Chair, UHC2030.
The second panel focused on what UHC Day campaigners can do to spur country action. The panel included Harjyot Khosa, Regional External Relations Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation; Léandre Hounhoui, Health Financing Specialist, Abt Associates; and Darlton John, Program Manager, Health Alert.
Both panels were moderated by Eliana Monteforte, Director of Special Projects, Global Health Council. Panelists emphasized the need for UHC advocates to:
Galvanize a broad range of stakeholders to hold leaders accountable to their UHC commitments
Insist that communities be central in decision-making to achieve UHC
Support investing in the health and care workforce as a pivotal element in making progress towards UHC
Show unity at global forums such as the COP28 climate conference
3. Questions from virtual launch participants
During the virtual launch, participants submitted more questions than panelists had time to answer. Here are responses to two additional questions:
Q. What are specific successful practices, driven by civil society, for advancing UHC progress?
Successful UHC advocacy starts with being clear about the actions needed to advance health for all. The Action Agenda from the UHC Movement provides a roadmap of actions to achieve UHC.
The UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) led 37 civil society consultations as part of the multi-stakeholder State of the UHC Commitment Review. The consultations captured stories, experiences and perspectives of civil society and communities that show the progress made toward universal health coverage on the ground.
Q. Where can UHC Day campaigners find resources for their work?
Please see A Campaigner’s Guide to Planning and Mobilizing Resources for Universal Health Coverage Day.
This publication can help you find resources, including funding opportunities, to build your campaign. The guide is available in English, French and Spanish.
UHC campaigners are invited to explore the UHC Day, UHC2030 and CSEM websites to find more resources to advocate towards health for all.
4. What we’re reading and watching