| Syllabus: GS-I, Subject: Society and social justice, Topic: Social Sector-Health, Issue: Universal Health coverage |
Universal health coverage (UHC):
- Ensures access to high-quality healthcare without financial hardship.
- UHC encompasses all essential health services, from prevention to palliative care.
Significance of UHC:
- Directive Principles lay the foundation of UHC
- Crucial for weaker and vulnerable section.
- Enables individuals to achieve wellness.
- Essential for breaking the cycle of poverty and poor health.
- Focuses on primary healthcare and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure.
The way ahead:
- Incorporate mobility and portability of healthcare access.
- Simplify reimbursement processes to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
- Create inclusive health systems by integrating information systems.
- Implement community-based primary healthcare in urban areas with seamless referral systems for better service integration and adherence.
- UHC commitment in elections can transform health systems with political will, investment, and a coherent policy pathway across states.
| +1 advantage for mains (Data points)
·                Directive Principles such as Article 39 (e), Article 42, and Article 47 mandate the state to ensure public health improvement. ·                International UHC Day and World Health Day emphasize health as a fundamental right. ·                India has approximately 41 million inter-State migrant workers, as per Census 2011. ·                The migration rate in India was recorded at 28.9% based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2020-21). ·                About 49% of India’s population resides in urban slums, as reported by UN-Habitat/World Bank. ·                India aims to increase public health financing to 2.5% of GDP, aligning with UHC goals |
