Impact

UHC Day 2021

UHC Day 2021 marked the end of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic and coincided with the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. While historic breakthroughs in public health were achieved this year – namely, the development of multiple life-saving vaccines – there are major disparities in the procurement and delivery of these vaccines globally.

Amidst this ongoing global health crisis – the worst in a century – and in light of the inequities that underscore the global pandemic response and recovery, UHC Day 2021 was an opportunity to stress the importance of Health for All that Leaves No One’s Health Behind.

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UHC Day 2020

UHC Day 2020 capped a historic year in health, defined by the worst pandemic in a century — still ongoing at the time of this report. Since the first cases were reported, COVID-19 has been an extreme stress-test for the world’s health systems and societies, revealing gaps and inequities that should have been addressed long before the virus struck. In some cases, momentum and resources for universal health coverage undeniably waned as leaders responded to the immediate threat; in others, the crisis brought new urgency to the case for universal health coverage, with more leaders paying attention, and more people rising to demand change.

Against this background, UHC Day 2020 had one message for leaders everywhere: To end this crisis and build a safer, healthier future, now is the time to act for health systems that protect everyone.

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UHC Day 2019

UHC Day 2019 was the culmination of a defining year for the universal health coverage movement. Three months after the historic UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UN HLM), which resulted in the most ambitious and comprehensive health declaration in history, UHC Day 2019 urged world leaders to Keep the Promise of Health For All.

Led by the multi-stakeholder Coordinating Group of UHC Day (12.12.CG) hosted by UHC2030, the sixth UHC Day focused on country ownership and accountability. Following the momentum of the UN HLM, the number of global partner events and social media engagement surged, overcoming the number of activities in years past.

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UHC Day 2018

As the first UHC Day officially recognized by the United Nations as an international awareness day, the focus of UHC Day 2018 extended far beyond civil society engagement. This year’s momentum exceeded past measures of success, with more partner events, more country-level engagement and more creative content on social media.

Action and conversation from this day propelled conversations about universal health coverage into related issue areas and generating momentum in the lead up to major milestones, including the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on UHC in September 2019.

Read more about global engagement around UHC Day 2018: