Universal Health Coverage

Universal health coverage (UHC) ensures that everyone has access to essential health services—promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative—without financial hardship. Rooted in the WHO’s 1948 constitution and the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, UHC recognizes health as a fundamental human right.

UHC focuses on three key goals:

  1. Equitable Access: Health services for all, regardless of financial status.
  2. Quality Care: Services that effectively improve health outcomes.
  3. Financial Protection: Preventing financial hardship due to healthcare costs.

By 2025, progress toward UHC continues, but challenges remain. About 4.5 billion people still lack full coverage, and financial strain from healthcare costs has risen.

Achieving UHC by 2030, a Sustainable Development Goal, demands strong political will, systemic reforms, and global collaboration to ensure accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare for all.

ICEED is collaborating with renowned experts—Professor Danilo Mandic of Imperial College London and Dr. Naoto Ueno of the University of Hawaii—alongside Hawaiian Indigenous communities on a groundbreaking project aimed at significantly advancing universal healthcare. This project is specifically designed to address the healthcare disparities faced by marginalized groups, including minorities, Indigenous populations, and the elderly. 

At the heart of this project is a pioneering pilot program focused on telemedicine, utilizing state-of-the-art monitoring devices and artificial intelligence to improve healthcare delivery in very remote Indigenous communities. These cutting-edge tools will enable real-time health tracking and virtual consultations, eliminating the geographical barriers that often prevent these communities from accessing quality healthcare. 

Building on the successes of the initial phase, the second stage of the project will expand its reach to include other marginalized groups, particularly the elderly in urban settings and Indigenous communities across various continental regions.  Ultimately, the project aspires to set a global precedent in advancing universal healthcare, demonstrating that technology, when thoughtfully applied, can dismantle systemic barriers and provide equitable healthcare access to those who have historically been overlooked.