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Gearing up for the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week and the Summit of the Future
At the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this year’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week will be a critical opportunity for world leaders to address how to get the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track for the 2030 milestone. Let’s remind them that doing so requires making health for all a reality for everyone, everywhere.
“As an issue that cuts across every Sustainable Development Goal, health tells us how well we are delivering on our entire 2030 agenda, from ending poverty and tackling climate change, to building safe and peaceful societies.”
Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly
Universal health coverage (UHC) is critical to supporting the well-being of present and future generations and addressing the global challenges we face today – including the eradication of poverty (1.3 billion people are pushed into poverty due to out-of-pocket health costs) and climate change, the biggest global health threat of our time.
Here are three steps we're taking to ensure that UHC remains high on the UNGA agenda and that countries act on their commitments.
1. Calling on leaders to leverage universal health coverage to tackle anti-microbial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading global health and development threat. Left unchecked, it will roll back a century of medical progress. Already an estimated 4.95 million deaths are associated with antimicrobial resistance every year, including 1.27 million deaths for which antimicrobial resistance is directly attributable.
As global leaders prepare to convene at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance on 26 September 2024, the UHC Movement Political Panel is reminding them that antimicrobial resistance can only be addressed equitably if all people have affordable access to quality health services, including for the prevention, diagnosis and appropriate treatment of infections.
2. Advocating for the inclusion of health as an action item in the Pact for the Future
The Summit of the Future (22–23 September 2024) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance. It will reaffirm existing commitments, including to the SDGs and the United Nations Charter, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system better positioned to impact people’s lives positively.
The outcome of the Summit will be the adoption of the Pact for the Future. For this critical pact, UHC2030 and its constituents are advocating for the inclusion of health as an action item, recognizing how health influences the international system and understanding the powerful role UHC plays in reaching the SDGs, building peaceful and inclusive societies, and safeguarding our future for present and future generations.
3. Getting ready for UHC Day 2024
On 10 September 2024, UHC2030 and the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM), with the support of the WHO Youth Council and the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), will host a virtual letter-writing workshop for advocates, including civil society and youth representatives. Learn more and register here.
A follow-up workshop in October will support young advocates in drafting letters that are specific to their country's context and building confidence in their advocacy work. Stay tuned for details!
Finally, mark your calendars for the official 2024 UHC Day campaign launch on 3 October 2024 and sign up for UHC Day updates to receive the latest on these and other UHC Day-related events and resources.
Mark your calendars!
10 September 2024: 2024 UHC Day campaign virtual letter-writing workshop
10–24 September 2024: UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week
17 September 2024: Webinar: "What's next? Follow-up on the Resolution on Social Participation for Universal Health Coverage". Register here and please complete this survey (also available in French and Spanish) on the structures and needs for strengthening social participation in health in your country.
20–21 September 2024: Summit of the Future Action Days. The Action Days will kick off with a youth-led afternoon followed by a programme which will focus on three themes: digital and technology, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing.
20–23 September 2024: Summit of the Future, to be streamed here
26 September 2024: High-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, to be streamed here
26 September 2024: Round table on the Lusaka Agenda, in collaboration with the UN Foundation. By invitation only. For more information, contact info@uhc2030.org.
3 October 2024: UHC Day 2024 campaign launch
October 2024 (date to be confirmed): Follow-up letter-writing workshop for youth advocates
UHC2030 Secretariat is provided by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
