Kathmandu, Dec 12: The Universal Health Coverage Day was observed today with the theme of Citizens’ Health: The State’s Responsibility’.
The objective of the celebration of the Day is to enable citizens’ access to required healthcare services without any financial hardships.
Issuing a press statement on the occasion of the Day today, the Ministry of Health and Population described the Day as a significant opportunity to invest in health services and advocate for preventing citizens especially from those facing financial hardships to fall under poverty because of medical expenditures.
The Ministry said it is committed to realising the goals of Universal Health Coverage.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), still 4.5 billion citizens globally have been deprived of basic healthcare services and 2 billion citizens face financial hardships due to health expenses.
In 2021, Nepal had the health coverage index was 54 percent and the personal expense to the total health expenditures is 54.1 percent.
