This September 2019, the United Nations General Assembly will meet for the first UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, where Heads of State and Government will come together in New York to discuss how to accelerate progress towards achieving UHC by 2030. The one-day meeting will be held on Monday 23 September, and will consist of two multi-stakeholder panels and a plenary segment during which countries will share their experiences and commitment to achieving UHC. The concept of UHC is firmly rooted in the principle that the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a fundamental human right. Defined as a situation where all people, everywhere, can access quality health services without incurring financial hardship, UHC is the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer, and vital for sustainable human development.

The progressive realisation of UHC necessitates integration of NCD prevention and control in UHC design and implementation. When achieved, UHC can be a powerful tool to accelerate progress on NCD outcomes, reducing inequalities, socio-economic stability and sustainable development.

In advance of the HLM, the NCD Alliance consulted its network and arrived at five advocacy priorities for Member States to consider while negotiating the outcome document of the HLM.

1. Prioritise prevention as an essential component of UHC.
2. Provide primary health care (PHC) as the foundation for UHC.
3. Save lives by increasing equitable, universal access to quality and affordable essential medicines and products.
4. Increase sustainable financing for health and improve efficiency in investments.
5. Enable community engagement and empowerment in UHC design, development and accountability processes.

For more information on the NCD Alliance’s priorities for the UHC HLM, please click here.