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IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALTH CARE
Universal Health Day also known as Universal Health Coverage Day was observed on Wednesday, last, under the theme, “United for Universal Health: Now is the time for collective action.”
The occasion is celebrated annually to ensure that all people and all communities everywhere have access to quality health services without discrimination of any kind and without suffering financial hardship. It is also to ensure that people receive full coverage of a range of health services, including health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. It is to provide health care coverage to everyone when they need it, wherever they are.
Universal Health Coverage Day was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which in 1948, declared that health is a fundamental human right issue, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age or citizenship. This year more than 100 countries around the world, including Guyana, have vowed to strengthen their primary health care systems as an essential step toward achieving universal health coverage. It is the first time that world leaders have committed to primary health care in order to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.
Universal health coverage is fundamental to ensuring the social protection for health. It is a critical component of sustainable development and poverty reduction, and a key element of any effort to reduce social inequities within countries. In most countries, the poorest populations often face the highest health risks and need more health care services.
Universal health coverage has a direct impact on a population’s health and welfare. Access and use of health services enables people to be healthier, more productive and active contributors to their communities. It also ensures that children can go to school and learn, and that people are not pushed into poverty when they have to pay for health services.
Universal health coverage is the hallmark of a government’s commitment to improve the wellbeing of all its citizens. It provides an entire population with access to good quality services, including medical personnel, medicines and technologies. However, having high quality universal health care is not something that can be achieved overnight, but all countries can take action to move more rapidly towards it, or to maintain the gains that they have already made. These efforts will require a system by governments to protect people from financial hardship and impoverishment from health care costs.
The dilemma for most countries, in particular low-income countries, is that they do not have the financial resources to provide everyone with all the health care services that they would need, even with the large increases in external donor assistance from the wealthy countries. But even though the wealthy countries have the resources, many, including the United States have not made much progress in providing universal health coverage to all their citizens. Some have implemented mandatory contributions for people to pay through taxation and/or compulsory contributions for health insurance.
That said, countries at all income levels can take steps to improve universal health coverage including Guyana, which over the years has made tremendous progress in providing essential quality health care services to all who reside within its borders.
Given its population density of four persons per square kilometre and the remoteness of small pockets of its population in the hinterland areas, providing quality and affordable healthcare to all is no small task to fulfill. However, so far the Ministry of Public Health has achieved commendable results despite the many obstacles it has faced.
According to the WHO, in 2016, Guyana achieved 68 percent coverage of essential health care services, 90 percent successful treatment of children with diphtheria and tetanus, and 55 percent treatment of adults with tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases and sexual transmitted diseases. These results have placed Guyana in a higher category than a number of countries. In order to provide quality universal health services to its citizens, Guyana must attract and retain high quality and qualified medical personnel.
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