Oxfam campaign victory for Universal Health Coverage

In response to a welcome change to how universal healthcare will be measured as a Sustainable Development Goal, Oxfam’s Public Services Policy Manager, Anna Marriott, said:

“What today’s decision means is that we will now be able to count the cost of paying for healthcare for households around the world. Every year 100 million people are pushed into poverty as they have to pay out of pocket for healthcare. The data we will now have access to will help us know which policies work and which don't. We can use this information to promote policy change that will achieve health for all - one of the strongest weapons in the fight against inequality.

“Oxfam is delighted to announce this victory for the drive for universal health coverage. It is truly exciting that in a couple of years we could have sound global data on what kinds of health financing mechanisms are most effective for leaving no one behind in healthcare.

“This success is largely down to a campaign co-ordinated by Oxfam, working in close collaboration with other NGOs, academics across the world and the World Health Organization. Now we can celebrate being a step closer to universal health coverage that leads to everyone accessing the quality health services they need without being pushed, or pushed further, into poverty.”