Rebecca Akufo-Addo rallies global powers to speed up implementation of universal health care

First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has made a passionate appeal to global big powers to speed up efforts to ensure that universal health care as prescribed by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) is fully implemented.

She made the appeal at a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN headquarters to consider universal health coverage.

Speaking to the theme of the meeting – “Universal Health Coverage: Expanding Our Ambition for Health and Well-Being in a Post-COVID World” – the First Lady said developing countries such as Ghana are nowhere near achieving universal health care, which makes the support of the developed world for SDG 3 urgent.

 Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo emphasised that health services must reach everyone regardless of geography or economic status.

“I have travelled the length and breadth of my country, read reports and participated in international meetings.

“I can safely conclude that universal cannot be applied to a significant portion of our health systems.

“I side with the World Health Organization, that health is a basic human right.

“Yet both global and national inequalities persist threatening our attainment of SDG 3.

“Geography, income, education, gender and age continue to exclude many from basic health services,” she stressed.

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo identified the rise of non-communicable diseases as a further threat saying the the COVID-19 pandemic both exposed health systems and derailed some of the progress countries had made in universal health coverage.

“So, the question I want to ask is: have we done enough or are we doing enough to achieve universal health coverage,” the First Lady said.

She pointed out that even in some developed economies, there are vast numbers with limited or no health care, and therefore poor and disparate health care is not a function of gross domestic product.

She called for speeding up and scaling up of universal health coverage encouraging governments to show more commitment to increasing public funding for health.

She stressed the need to strengthen primary health-care systems, to support access to available health care for people as well as train more health workers, especially at the community level.

According to her, the success of mass vaccination for childhood diseases in many countries shows that education and deployment of health personnel to even remote areas are the way to go.

“We cannot continue to push people into poverty because of illness,” Mrs Akufo-Addo further said.

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo noted that “it is critical that developed countries commit to support developing countries in the production and distribution of generic essential drugs.

“We are all here today, because we care about making health care universally accessible to all.

“Indeed, a lot of commitment has been made by the UN, WHO, governments and other stakeholders. So, the questions I want to ask in my conclusion are these.

“Do we care enough for that pregnant woman to get the full ante-natal care and access to quality health services in the process of giving life to another? “Do we care enough to ensure children, the aged, the poor and other vulnerable groups have quality health care they can afford and within reach? “Do we care enough for rich countries to make generic drugs produced and available in developing economies?

“Do we care enough to substantially invest in primary health care? Let’s care enough to make sure everyone irrespective of geography or economic status has access to basic health care.

“If we care enough, we will find the will and resources to do so,” Rebecca Akufo-Addo told the meeting