'More, better, faster & sustained': Strengthen primary health care to advance universal health coverage

• Published in: Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994) Vol. 149; no. 4; pp. 433 - 436
• Main Author: Lahariya, Chandrakant
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2019; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Scientific Scholar; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
• Subjects: Analysis; Conferences and conventions; Decades; Equity; GDP; Global health; Government spending; Gross Domestic Product; Health care policy; Health insurance; Health services; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; India; Insurance coverage; Medically uninsured persons; National health insurance; Outpatient care facilities; Primary care; Primary Health Care; Public health; Social justice; State budgets; Universal Health Insurance; World health; India; Thailand
• ISSN: 0971-5916
• DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_753_19

UHC has laudable and widely understood objective of 'Universal Health' with 'Coverage' in all three dimensions [1],[3], namely: (i) a wide range of quality services delivered through health systems having strong foundation of comprehensive primary healthcare; (ii) all populations, with focus on leaving no one behind, keeping equity and social justice as principles; and (iii) appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure financial protection while people access health services they need. Health is a State subject in India, and in urban settings, elected local bodies are responsible for primary care and public health services. [...]the singular reliance on union government initiative would not be enough. [...]PHC for all' starts with better measurements, and strengthening monitoring systems for PHC and UHC will guide the corrective actions and accelerate progress. [...]progress on PHC and UHC would be dependent on additional evidence generated, and it would need institutionalized mechanisms, at both national and sub-national level, for implementation research and capacity building of relevant stakeholders, supported by sufficient government funding for both [32].