Each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chooses a topic of particular importance to focus their efforts on for World Health Day: an international communication campaign designed to raise awareness and encourage change in our global approach to health.

The focus for this year’s World Health Day, on 7 April 2019, is universal health coverage.

Universal health coverage is WHO’s number one goal. Achieving it would mean all people having access to the quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.

Progress towards this goal is being made in countries in all regions of the world. But, millions of people still have no access at all to health care. Millions more are forced to choose between health care and other daily expenses such as food, clothing and even a home.  About 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of out-of-pocket spending on health.

At The Chia Co, we believe that health is a human right — and it’s time for health for all.

To make health for all a reality, we need to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to high-quality health services so that they take care of their own health and the health of their families. But what does this really mean? It means supporting skilled health workers in our own communities, and better enabling them to provide quality, people-centred care. It also means encouraging our policy-makers to commit to investing in primary health care.  Health is a political choice, and we need to make sure it is considered in all government policies.

Learn more about World Health Day and how you can get involved.