On 12 December 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) marked Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day in Luanda under the theme “Financial Protection for Universal Health Coverage.” In collaboration with the Private University of Angola (UPRA), the initiative highlighted pathways to financial protection in accessing health services and emphasized the importance of sustaining policy commitments to ensure equitable access to quality health care without exposing families to financial hardship.
Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, global leaders have committed to promoting healthy lives and well-being for all. These commitments were reaffirmed in the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meetings on UHC in 2019 and 2023, positioning UHC as a fundamental human right and global priority. Despite these efforts, the 2025 Global Monitoring Report on UHC by WHO and the World Bank indicates that 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health services, while 2.1 billion face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health expenditures.
In the context of reduced external financing for health globally, Angola’s UHC Day underscored the importance of investing in financial protection to strengthen community resilience, safeguard essential services, and promote economic prosperity while leaving no one behind.
The event featured a hybrid panel of experts in health policy and planning who discussed strategies to accelerate UHC implementation with a focus on financial protection. Participants included representatives from WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, students, faculty members, civil society organisations, and partners such as the Red Cross, PSI Angola, and The Mentor Initiative. Digital participation enabled broader outreach and public engagement.
Panel discussions examined persistent challenges in accessing health services, including financial barriers, limited resources, and the impact of reduced global funding on national health systems, particularly cuts in external financing and technical assistance. Strategic solutions proposed included diversifying funding sources, strengthening partnerships with multilateral institutions and the private sector, leveraging academia and research to inform policy, adopting sustainable financing mechanisms focused on Primary Health Care, expanding social protection measures such as health insurance schemes, and improving pooled procurement of medicines and health products to reduce costs for households.
Dr Indrajit Hazarika, WHO Representative in Angola, highlighted that investing in financial protection promotes equity in health care access, strengthens social cohesion, and contributes to national economic growth.
The celebration of Universal Health Coverage Day in Angola reaffirmed the importance of coordinated political action among government, development partners, academia, and communities to ensure that health remains an accessible right for all.
