Secretary-General's Message on Universal Health Coverage Day

Entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must immediately strengthen our health system to ensure it is equitable, resilient, and able to meet everyone's needs, including their mental health.

COVID-19 has reached almost all parts of the world, but its health coverage is still not there. The shockwaves of this health emergency hit hardest in countries that do not have health systems capable of providing quality, affordable care for all.

If we want to achieve our goal of universal health coverage by 2030, we must commit to investing in and scaling proven solutions. This means making more and smarter investments in the foundations of health systems, with an emphasis on primary health care, essential services, and marginalized populations.

The best insurance for a resilient economy and society, as well as pandemic preparedness for the future, is to strengthen health systems before a crisis arrives. The uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the past year has been a global moral failure. We must learn from this experience. The pandemic will not end for any country until it ends in every country.

On this Universal Health Coverage Day, let us join the commitment to end the COVID-19 pandemic and build a healthier and safer future for everyone by investing in a health system that leaves no one behind.