On Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, communities across the globe rally to urge policymakers, civil society, donors and multilateral institutions to make commitments that ensure all people, regardless of where they live or their financial resources, receive quality healthcare without financial hardship.
Discussions and events centered around UHC serve as an important opportunity to advocate for progress in achieving health for all around the globe, but often the needs of those living with childhood-onset heart disease who require specialized health care aren’t considered in the design of essential benefits for universal health care programs.
Watch the 2024 UHC Day webinar
Why does UHC Day matter for pediatric heart care?
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect affecting 1 in 100 newborns, with an estimated 1.35 million babies born each year with CHD worldwide.[1] 1 in 4 will need surgery in the first year of life to survive, but most children do not have access to timely diagnosis or treatment. Often, access to quality treatment for CHD patients is due to lack of financial resources and investments in local health systems.
In high-income countries like the United States and Canada, medical advances have increased childhood survival from 10% in 1950 to roughly 97% by 2017.[2] [3]
Today, 70% of the deaths globally occur in infants, and 85% of those occur in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). For children born with CHD in these regions, the outlook is even more alarming—up to 90% do not have access to necessary cardiac care and die and endure disabilities that high-income countries overcame more than fifty years ago.
If treatment for heart diseases in children is not included in universal health coverage plans, many families in LMICs will be catastrophically impoverished or will be unable to provide life saving care for their children.
Children’s HeartLink believes true universal health coverage for all people includes the critical needs of those living with childhood-onset heart disease. To achieve this we have joined forces with the Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts (Global ARCH) to co-lead the Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts, a coalition of likeminded organizations and individuals advocating for childhood-onset heart disease health policies.
Join us to advocate for inclusive UHC policies
On December 9, Children’s HeartLink and Global ARCH hosted a Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts webinar highlighting policies and strategies that will reduce barriers to specialized lifelong care, followed by a discussion with advocates about what governments can do to include the needs of all people living with childhood-onset heart disease in UHC policies. Dr. Martin Sabignoso, former Deputy Minister of Health in Argentina, highlighted how to integrate CHD programs into universal health coverage policies using the case study of Argentina. Watch the full webinar above!