We all know that developing countries face numerous challenges that force them to prioritise their most pressing needs among others. The developed countries with good economy continue to receive more allocations, thus putting the poor and developing at a dire spot. In fact, it is the developing countries that need the support more.
It would be recalled that in September 2019, at the first United Nations High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on UHC, world leaders endorsed the most ambitious and comprehensive political declaration on health in history. However, according to the latest global monitoring report on universal health coverage, UHC progress is not on track, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world further away from the 2023 targets set by the political declaration.
Recently, Dr. Ahmad Lamin Samateh, minister for Health, at the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization, suggested the need for more funding budgetary allocation at country offices, rather than concentrating the support at global and regional levels. This, he believes, would not only make WHO more effective, but will also strengthen national response to health care needs.
We all know that healthcare is a part of life and an entitlement that everyone should have the right to have access to healthcare whenever needed.
For many years health inequities continue to derail our collective ambition of providing decent and best treatment for people in the developing countries. Some believe these inequities have significant social and economic costs both to individuals and societies.
We therefore call on the government to prioritise and invest more in health to help ensure UHC in the not too distant future. We all have a stake in the development of the country’s health care service.
Despite the tight budget allocation, The Gambia is doing absolutely well in meeting the Universal Health Coverage. So lets all play a part in strengthening our country’s health delivery.