Japan
Health is an important area in the SDGs, and we support the idea to have a stand alone goal on health.
Universal Health Coverage is listed as one of the sub-areas in the revised document on focus areas, but Universal Health Coverage is a comprehensive concept meaning that all people have access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. Universal Health Coverage encompasses all health services including maternal and child health care and infectious disease treatment and it aims for equity whereby the vulnerable people can have medical services at affordable cost.
Therefore, we believe that the goal on health should be Universal Health Coverage as such, and Universal Health Coverage should not be treated as a target of the goal on health. Our suggestion is the goal on health should be "Achieving Universal Health Coverage, where all people have access to the quality, essential health services they need without enduring financial hardship."
The two targets are suggested by the World Bank and WHO as follows, and they should be taken into consideration.
- By 2030, at least 80% of the poorest 40% of the population have coverage to ensure access to essential health services.
- By 2030, everyone has coverage to protect them from financial risk, so that no one is pushed into poverty or kept in poverty because of expenditure on health services.
Universal Health Coverage is listed as one of the sub-areas in the revised document on focus areas, but Universal Health Coverage is a comprehensive concept meaning that all people have access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. Universal Health Coverage encompasses all health services including maternal and child health care and infectious disease treatment and it aims for equity whereby the vulnerable people can have medical services at affordable cost.
Therefore, we believe that the goal on health should be Universal Health Coverage as such, and Universal Health Coverage should not be treated as a target of the goal on health. Our suggestion is the goal on health should be "Achieving Universal Health Coverage, where all people have access to the quality, essential health services they need without enduring financial hardship."
The two targets are suggested by the World Bank and WHO as follows, and they should be taken into consideration.
- By 2030, at least 80% of the poorest 40% of the population have coverage to ensure access to essential health services.
- By 2030, everyone has coverage to protect them from financial risk, so that no one is pushed into poverty or kept in poverty because of expenditure on health services.