UHC Day 2018: Unite for universal health coverage

UHC Day microsite

UHC Day aims to raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage. Each year on 12.12, UHC advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, to call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and to remind the world that Health for All is imperative to create the world we want.

This year’s UHC Day will be an important milestone on the road to the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in 2019.

Building on momentum from upcoming events like the second Global Conference on Primary Health Care, UHC Day will give country governments, non-state actors and stakeholders across the United Nations system an important platform to unite ourselves and drive action, to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

The theme for the 2018 UHC Day is: Unite for Universal Health Coverage: now is the time for collective action

UHC2030 has provided micro-grant funding to support UHC Day events around the world for 12 December 2018. 

Visit the UHC Day microsite to learn more about these events, as well as how you can take action to support UHC, both on December 12^th and throughout the year.

UHC Day microsite

Background

On 12 December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously endorsed a resolution urging countries to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) – the idea that everyone, everywhere should have access to quality, affordable health care – as an essential priority for international development.

In 2014, the Universal Health Coverage Coalition started to celebrate 12 December as UHC Day, to commemorate the date on which the UN General Assembly officially recognised the importance of UHC. Since then, the day has become the annual rallying point for the growing global movement for Health for All. 

On 12 December 2017, UNGA proclaimed 12 December as International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day) by resolution, making it an official UN-designated day. 

UHC2030 and UHC DAY

UHC2030 has supported UHC Coalition partners to organise UHC Day events since our establishment in 2016. But our role is growing. 

Another 2017 UNGA resolution also recognised UHC2030 as the most relevant group for providing support to Member States for developing and strengthening sustainable UHC initiatives at the national level. Building on this experience and mandate, UHC2030 is uniquely positioned to coordinate partners to organise around UHC Day across the world and is now spearheading these efforts.  

Leading transparently and collaboratively, UHC2030 convenes and houses a multi-stakeholder Coordination Group on International UHC Day (12.12.CG) that includes Member States, organisations of the United Nations system, civil society, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and academia*. 

12.12.CG is responsible for developing the identity and campaign materials for UHC Day, building on the existing efforts of the UHC Coalition and other relevant initiatives for UHC.

UHC Day Identity Guide

Coordination Group TOR