At the recent G20 Health Ministers’ gathering in Polokwane, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi called for a renewed commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), reiterating the dire need for a global health architecture that prioritises the well-being of all individuals, reports IOL.
At the event, which was the final session of the G20 Health Working Group, Motsoaledi said they cannot rest while there was still gross inequality in health access, including medicine, and injustice, in the face of preventable disease.
He said South Africa was committed to multilateralism and diplomatic solidarity, and to building “a resilient, equitable Global Health Architecture”.
“However, our shared narrative must begin with an urgent reckoning: that the progress towards Universal Health Coverage has stalled, leaving billions exposed to financial ruin. This is a global failure we must now redeem,” Motsoaledi said.
Unlocking UHC’s promise would require embracing the Primary Health Care (PHC) Approach as the cornerstone of equity, which should be recognised as a smart, effective delivery model, not an impoverished option.
“No grand vision survives without sustainable financing. This G20 must discuss and devise collaborative strategies to enhance Domestic Resource Mobilisation and, critically, alleviate the crushing debt vulnerabilities of Low- and Middle-Income Countries, creating the fiscal space required for health spending. We must set collective targets to dismantle the unacceptable burden of out-of-pocket expenditures by 2030,” he said.
He added that they should be vigilant “against the threat of the financialisation of health, where … profit supersedes public health goals”, and that “health cannot be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right, and we must defend it from forces that prioritise financial returns over human dignity”.
Motsoaledi said UHC hinges entirely on the dedication of the health and care workforce, and that the global deficit of these essential workers represents a worldwide crisis.
“The lessons of the last pandemic compel us to build resilience now… to ensure the swift, equitable conclusion and operationalisation of the Pandemic Agreement and the amended IHR (International Health Regulations). The world can no longer tolerate ‘vaccine nationalism’.”
He reminded delegates that health security and economic growth are driven by science and innovation.
IOL article – Health Minister urges renewed commitment to Universal Health Coverage at G20 meeting
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