ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano appointed as the new co-chair of the Universal Health Coverage Steering Committee

UPDATE

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano has been appointed as a co-chair of the Universal Health Coverage Steering Committee (UHC2030). Initially formed as the International Health Partnership, UHC2030* serves as a global platform where multiple stakeholders connect to influence national and international commitments toward UHC.

The aims of UHC2030 are to accelerate sustainable progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), and to focus on building equitable and resilient health systems that leave no one behind, and that provide the foundation to achieve health security.

Dr Cipriano said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as co-chair of the Steering Committee. It is clear that we face formidable challenges, but we remain committed to achieving UHC by 2030. However, unless governments make the necessary investments to ensure services are available, those targets will be missed, which will mean millions of people will continue to live without the dignity and quality of life that access to universal health essential benefits can bring.

‘The basic principles of UHC are that people receive the care that they need, of a good quality and they are not forced into financial ruin. We can only achieve these UHC goals with an increased emphasis on investment in primary health care and a workforce to deliver that care.

‘Nurses and other health care workers are the catalyst that can make UHC achievable, but the global shortage of many millions of nurses must be addressed as the first step towards UHC. The theme of this year’s International Nurses Day, the Economic Power of Care, is about making the irrefutable economic case for providing the vital investment in nursing that is central to achieving UHC2030.

‘We need an urgent global response to the current situation, one that puts more nurses in post and more people in reach of the fundamental health care that they deserve. UHC2030 is a reachable goal, but the clock is ticking, and we need action now.”

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a resolution on Global Health and Foreign Policy urging countries to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). And in 2023, the United Nations Political Declaration on UHC underscored the intimate link between primary health care, which is overwhelmingly delivered by nurses, and UHC.

As Dr Cipriano said at the time of the declaration: “Universal Health Coverage can only be achieved through having nurses working closely with individuals, families and communities in their homes and neighborhoods. Just about everything that makes up good primary health care is within the remit of nurses, and the countries of the world need to make the effort required to put nurses where they are needed most, and that is alongside patients in their everyday lives.” Dr Cipriano’s co-chair is Dr Magda Robalo, who is the President and Co-Founder of The Institute for Global Health and Development in Guinea-Bissau where she was previously the Minister of Public Health.

Click here for more information about UHC2030.

* UHC2030 provides a platform where the private sector, civil society, international organizations, academia and governmental organizations can collaborate to accelerate equitable and sustainable progress towards UHC and to strengthen health systems at global and country levels. It is the only multi-stakeholder platform that brings together diverse voices and perspectives for the common goal of achieving UHC, sustaining momentum around UHC commitments and supporting collective action.

The UHC2030 Secretariat is co-hosted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and OECD. The three organizations have a shared responsibility to support UHC2030’s strategic vision and direction and to promote collective action for UHC. To fulfil this responsibility, the Secretariat ensures UHC2030 remains relevant and results-focused and keeps members engaged and up-to-date.