The right for everyone to have universal health coverage

Introduction

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a crucial human right that has been recognised and pushed for by various universal associations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO). The concept of UHC includes the thought that each person and community should have access to the quality health services they require, without suffering financial hardship. It is a fundamental component of sustainable development, and its acknowledgment is significant for the overall well-being and success of countries and individuals. 

Protecting individuals from the monetary results of paying for health services out of their own pockets diminishes the chance that individuals will be pushed into poverty since the cost of needed services and treatments requires them to use up their life savings, sell resources, or borrow, leading them to destroy their futures and often those of their children

An estimated 100 million individuals globally fall into extreme poverty because of out-of-pocket expenditures on health care. There's  an enormous difference between the low-income and high-income countries on accessing and using health administrations. Health indicators such as maternal and child mortality and malnutrition are still disturbing for numerous low-and-middle-income countries.

Key Terms

• UHC: Universal Health Coverage 

• WHO: World Health Organisation

• UDHR: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• UNGA: United Nations General Assembly

Background Information

The concept of universal health coverage began in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which recognizes the right to one's health as a crucial and essential human right. Over the decades, the thought of UHC has gained significant momentum, with numerous countries adopting it as a core policy objective. In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark resolution (A/RES/67/81) which urged member states to provide UHC as part of their sustainable development goals.

Relevant UN Treaties, Resolutions and Reports

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948)

Article 25 of the UDHR recognizes that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, including medical care.

• Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care (1978)

"Health for All" by the year 2000 and emphasised primary healthcare as a key component of achieving UHC.

• World Health Assembly Resolution 58.33 (2005)

Reaffirms the importance of UHC and primary healthcare as essential elements in achieving health for all.

• Resolution - UNGA Global Health and Foreign Policy (A/RES/67/81) (2012)

Urged member states to provide UHC as part of their commitment to sustainable development.

Possible Solutions

1. Resource mobilisation. Advocate for increased investments in healthcare infrastructure, healthcare workforce training, and the procurement of essential medicines and equipment. Promote innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and international aid to bridge resource gaps.

2. Education and training. Encourage investments in medical education and training programs to ensure an adequate and skilled healthcare workforce. Support scholarships and incentives to attract and retain healthcare professionals, especially in underserved areas.

3. Separate healthcare systems in more developed countries so that refugees and asylum seekers are able to seek healthcare without their overwhelming country systems, who are possibly at war.

Bibliography

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(uhc) 

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/universalhealthcoverage 

https://www.wvi.org/opinion/view/universal-health-coverage-possible-still-years-away 

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/system-features/how-does-universal-health-coverage-work 

https://www.uhc2030.org/news-and-events/blog/universal-health-coverage-is-a-matter-of-equity-rights-and-justice/ 

https://www.e-ir.info/2019/04/19/is-universal-health-coverage-always-the-best-solution-to-health-challenges/ 

https://www.sightsavers.org/blogs/2018/12/why-universal-health-coverage-is-vital-to-fight-extreme-poverty/ 

Reducing our dependence on antibiotics

Antibiotics have revolutionised modern medicine, significantly reducing the mortality rates of infectious diseases. However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, becoming a global health threat. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) arises when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites lose their responsiveness to antimicrobial medications. This resistance renders antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs ineffective, making infections harder or even impossible to treat. Consequently, there's an elevated risk of disease transmission, severe illness, disabilities, and fatalities.

AMR is a natural occurrence driven by genetic alterations in pathogens over time. However, human actions, notably the inappropriate and excessive use of antimicrobials for treating, preventing, or managing infections in humans, animals, and plants, accelerate its emergence and spread.

The issue of reducing our dependence on antibiotics has gained significant attention due to the escalating threat of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics have been pivotal in treating infectious diseases for decades, but their overuse and misuse have led to the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria, rendering many antibiotics ineffective. This poses a severe threat to global public health, necessitating urgent and concerted efforts to address this challenge.

Key Terms

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): the ability of micro-organisms (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) to resist the effects of antimicrobial drugs, rendering them ineffective in treating infections.

• Pathogens: micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) that cause disease in humans, animals, or plants.

• Antibiotics: medications used to treat bacterial infections by inhibiting the growth or killing bacteria.

• Antimicrobial Medicines: a broader term encompassing antibiotics as well as antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitic drugs used to treat various microbial infections.

• Drug Resistance: the ability of pathogens to withstand the effects of medications that would typically kill or inhibit their growth.

• Inappropriate Use: using antimicrobial drugs without proper indication, incorrect dosage, or unnecessary use, contributing to the development of resistance.

• Overuse: excessive or unnecessary use of antimicrobial drugs, leading to increased resistance in pathogens.

Antibiotic resistance is a natural process by which bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites evolve and adapt, becoming less susceptible or entirely resistant to the effects of antibiotics or other antimicrobial medications. This phenomenon occurs due to genetic changes within the microorganisms, enabling them to survive and multiply despite exposure to drugs that would typically eliminate or inhibit their growth.

There are several contributing factors to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance

Overuse and Misuse of Antibiotics: inappropriate or excessive use of antibiotics, whether in healthcare settings for treating infections or in agriculture as growth promoters for livestock, creates selective pressure on bacteria. This pressure drives the survival and proliferation of resistant strains.

Incomplete Treatment Courses: not completing the full prescribed course of antibiotics can leave behind surviving bacteria that may develop resistance, as they have been partially exposed to the drug.

Poor Infection Control Measures: inadequate hygiene practices in healthcare settings or communities can facilitate the spread of resistant bacteria among individuals.

Lack of Development of New Antibiotics: there has been a slowdown in the discovery and development of new antibiotics, leading to limited treatment options and increasing reliance on 

existing drugs, which contributes to the emergence of resistance.

The consequences of antibiotic resistance are profound and far-reaching-

Treatment Challenges: infections caused by resistant bacteria are more difficult to treat, leading to prolonged illness, increased healthcare costs, and higher rates of mortality and morbidity.

Impact on Public Health: diseases once easily treatable with antibiotics can become more severe and spread more easily, posing a significant threat to public health.

Complications in Healthcare: surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and organ transplants, among other medical interventions, become riskier when infections are resistant to standard antibiotics.

Political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance 

Encourage Vaccination: promote vaccination programs to prevent infectious diseases, reducing the need for antibiotics to treat illnesses that could have been prevented.

Enhanced Infection Prevention and Control: improve hygiene practices in healthcare facilities and communities to prevent infections. This reduces the need for antibiotics and helps in curbing the spread of resistant strains.

Reducing Antibiotic Use in Agriculture: regulate the use of antibiotics in agriculture by prohibiting their use as growth promoters and employing better practices in animal husbandry. This can reduce the development of antibiotic-resistant strains in animals and subsequently in humans.