[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-21px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Remarks by the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n at the Opening of the\u00a0High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n [As Delivered]<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 21 September 2023<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \n \n Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Guests,<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Our world is in a very different place today than it was in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n \n As the Covid pandemic reminded us all too painfully, healthy people are the foundation of healthy societies and economies.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Today, we are here to scale up our actions and investments in\u00a0<\/span>universal health coverage<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n \n To ensure that\u00a0<\/span>everyone<\/span><\/b>\u00a0receives quality health services, when and where needed \u2013 without incurring financial hardship.<\/span><\/p>\n \n And to ensure that\u00a0<\/span>no one is left behind<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Indeed, health and sustainable development are two sides of the same coin.<\/p>\n As an issue that cuts across every Sustainable Development Goal,\u00a0health<\/b>\u00a0tells us how well we are delivering on our\u00a0entire<\/b>\u00a02030 Agenda \u2013 from ending poverty and tackling climate change, to building safe and peaceful societies.<\/p>\n \n Yet today, the growing burden of out-of-pocket expenses has become a significant barrier to health care access across the globe.<\/p>\n \n Every year, millions of people are impoverished by the costs of health care.<\/p>\n \n High costs keep\u00a0essential<\/b>\u00a0health services out of reach.<\/p>\n \n There is\u00a0no reason<\/b>\u00a0for this to be the norm.<\/p>\n \n Excellencies<\/i>,<\/p>\n \n By expanding\u00a0primary health care interventions<\/b>, national health care systems can better cover the costs of\u00a0essential<\/b>\u00a0health care services.<\/p>\n \n This could potentially save 60 million lives by 2030.<\/p>\n \n Strengthened in this way, health systems could better help communities respond to and recover from shocks \u2013\u00a0all<\/b>\u00a0while preventing backsliding on health outcomes.<\/p>\n \n I call on Governments to increase \u2013 and improve the quality of \u2013 their health care investments, prioritising\u00a0equitable access<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0financial protection<\/b>.<\/p>\n \n All stakeholders must be involved, from Government ministries and civil society to patient groups, providers and citizens.<\/p>\n \n Our focus must be on serving the most vulnerable:<\/p>\n \n And while keeping a\u00a0gender perspective<\/b>\u00a0in mind, countries also need a well-equipped health care workforce with fair compensation and decent working conditions.<\/p>\n \n The political declaration just approved\u2013seeks to correct course and to identify a path forward for achieving the health and well-being of people, everywhere.<\/p>\n \n Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n \n Rapid progress towards universal health coverage is ambitious \u2013\u00a0and it is achievable<\/b>, as many countries will showcase today.<\/p>\n \n We can and must do better.<\/p>\n \n Together, with political leadership from the top down, we can ensure that everyone has access to the health services they need.<\/p>\n \n These are not simply matters of health.<\/p>\n \n These are fundamental issues of social justice, equity and human rights.<\/p>\n \n Let us work together to radically transform our health systems and create a world where health and well-being is no longer a privilege for the few \u2013 but a respected right for\u00a0all<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n I thank you.<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Remarks by the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly,\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. Dennis Francis,\u00a0\u00a0 at the Opening of the\u00a0High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage [As Delivered]\u00a0\u00a0 21 September 2023\u00a0\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":361,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-speeches","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n\n