The NCD Alliance joined 500+ organizations around the world to launch the first-ever Universal Health Coverage Day on 12 December 2014. This historic coalition will mark the anniversary of a landmark UN resolution urging all countries to provide universal access to health care without financial hardship.

Accelerating progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) is essential to ensuring the health and wellbeing of all people. Approximately 100 million people are pushed into poverty every year as a result of out-of-pocket payments for health care, a large proportion of which are due to NCDs.

Yet, UHC remains a distant reality for many low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), where the NCD burden is impacting disproportionately. Out-of-pocket payments for NCD treatment and care trap poor households in cycles of catastrophic expenditure, impoverishment, and illness, particularly in countries lacking social protection and health insurance. Coverage and access (in terms of availability and physical access) to NCD services, including early diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care, are severely inadequate.

No one should fall into poverty because they get sick and need health care. Countries of all income levels are pursuing policy reforms to achieve universal health coverage. More than 80 countries have asked the World Health Organization for assistance in accelerating action. 

To learn more and show your support please visit Universal Health Coverage Day website and follow Universal Health Coverage Day on Twitter and Facebook.

Click here to download our latest policy brief: "UHC and NCDs: A Mutually Reinforcing Agenda"