International Universal Health Coverage Day

News: Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated on 12^th December.

Facts:

• Universal Health Coverage (UHC): It is defined as ensuring that all people have access to needed health services of sufficient quality without suffering financial hardship. It includes health promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
• Background: UHC Day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 2017. It marks the day when in 2012 the UNGA endorsed a resolution urging countries to accelerate progress toward UHC.
• Aim: To raise awareness of the need for strong and resilient health systems and universal health coverage with multi-stakeholder partners.
•  2019 Theme: ‘Keep the Promise’.
•  UHC and Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 3.8 calls for achieving universal health coverage. This includes financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all by 2030.

Additional Information:

Ayushman Bharat:

• The scheme was launched in 2018 as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The scheme is under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The main aim of the scheme is to provide universal health care to the poor, needy and vulnerable sections of the country. The scheme covers both prevention and health promotion.
• National Health Authority is the apex body responsible for implementing ‘Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’.
• The two flagship programmes under Ayushman Bharat programme are (a) Health and Wellness Centre and (b) Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Health and Wellness Centre:

• Under this, 1.5 lakh health care centres will be established.
• These centres will provide comprehensive health care (including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services), free essential drugs and diagnostic services.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY):

• PM-JAY provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
• It provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the empanelled hospital.It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines
• Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra (AM) is the primary contact for the beneficiaries at every empanelled hospital.