According to the World Health Organization (WHO), April 7th is World Health Day.

WHO’s primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations’ system.

According to their website, “We support countries as they coordinate the efforts of multiple sectors of the government and partners — including bi- and multilaterals, funds and foundations, civil society organizations and private sector — to attain their health objectives and support their national health policies and strategies.”

This year’s World Health Day campaign focuses on Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

What exactly do they mean by Universal Health Coverage? It’s pretty simple.

Universal health coverage is about ensuring all people can get quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship.

No one should have to choose between good health and other life necessities.

Making health services truly universal requires a shift from designing health systems around diseases and institutions towards health services designed around and for people.

Everyone can play a part in the path to UHC, by taking part in a UHC conversation.

Too many people are currently missing out on health coverage.

“Universal” in UHC means “for all,” without discrimination, leaving no one behind. Everyone everywhere has a right to benefit from health services they need without falling into poverty when using them.

Here are some facts and figures about the state of UHC today:

At least half of the world’s people are currently unable to obtain essential health services.

Almost 100 million people are being pushed into extreme poverty, forced to survive on just $1.90 or less a day, because they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets.

Over 800 million people (almost 12 percent of the world’s population) spend at least 10 percent of their household budgets on health expenses for themselves, a sick child or other family member.

Incurring catastrophic expenses for health care is a global problem. In richer countries in Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia, which have achieved high levels of access to health services, increasing numbers of people are spending at least 10 percent of their household budgets on out-of-pocket health expenses.

What UHC is:

UHC means that all people and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

UHC enables everyone to access the services that address the most important causes of disease and death and ensures that the quality of those services is good enough to improve the health of the people who receive them.

What UHC is not:

UHC does not mean free coverage for all possible health interventions, regardless of the cost, as no country can provide all services free of charge on a sustainable basis.

UHC is not only about ensuring a minimum package of health services, but also about ensuring a progressive expansion of coverage of health services and financial protection as more resources become available.

UHC is not only about medical treatment for individuals, but also includes services for whole populations such as public health campaigns — for example adding fluoride to water or controlling the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carry viruses that can cause disease.

UHC is not just about health care and financing the health system of a country. It encompasses all components of the health system: systems and healthcare providers that deliver health services to people, health facilities and communications networks, health technologies, information systems, quality assurance mechanisms and governance and legislation.

I know the idea of ‘Universal Health Care’ is often debate fodder, but at the end of the day, I circle back to the beginning of the article. “No one should have to choose between good health and other life necessities.” No one should go broke, or so far in debt, they’ll never get out because they got sick. How many fundraisers and Go Fund Mes do we have to see before we realize that there is a big problem in our country and the world in getting sick people healthy without throwing them into financial ruin?

So, on this World Health Day, take a minute to check out WHO’s website (www.who.int) to see what part you can play in protecting your health and the health of others.