If you could imagine a healthcare plan for the entire world, what would it be?

This was the ambitious question heads of states and governments, policy-makers and other thinkers, aimed to answer at the first-ever High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in a UN General Assembly meeting on Monday, 23 September.

The key directive of this assembly, entitled ‘Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World’ is to come up with a political declaration to achieve healthcare for all 193 member states. The idea of a UHC is enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target 3, with the understanding that a commitment to improving global healthcare is in everyone's best interests.

Talks are still in progress, as a goal like healthcare for ALL is not a quick process, but so far the WHO has already labeled this the “most comprehensive plan yet.”.

A lofty goal, but what does ‘healthcare for all’ really entail?

What’s Missing?

“No one left behind” is an oft-quoted core aim of the SGDs.

While it's true that the UHC is still being developed and debated in the UN, however, there are already a few major facets that are left out.

Who comes under all? ‘All’ is a nebulous term if not meshed out thoroughly. For example, in creating global healthcare systems the question that must be asked is - are vulnerable, high-risk populations being served as a priority?

Besides, if universal healthcare access works for the last mile, the poorest and most marginalised, “it will work for everyone,” reads a petition from MPact, a global network for gay activism. Read more via FIT