Universal health coverage (UHC) is a government policy that aims to cover all its population with insurance such that all people can access health care conveniently and affordably. The UHC policy states that all people should have access to the full range of quality health services they, when and where they need them, and without financial constraints. The policy covers a wide range of healthcare services which include community health, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care across the life course (Okech & Lelegwe, 2016). The UHC implementation requires effort from the government to create a conducive environment that includes the employment of skilled personnel, the building of adequate and high-standard hospitals, and the provision of necessary medical equipment. Besides the health sector factors that are mandatory for the implantation and success of UHC, non-health factors such as climate change, agriculture, water, and infrastructure such as education and roads play a crucial role in UHC implementation. This paper will evaluate how the non-health sectors influence the implementation of UHC, either negatively or positively.
First and foremost, agriculture plays an important role in UHC implementation such that food production is essential for human survival. The agricultural sector contributes to a range of sixty-five percent of the national food basket. The government has put measures in place such as the provision of subsidized fertilizer and certified seeds to farmers to achieve this food policy. The industrialization of food production has, up to now, made it possible to feed the country’s population despite some mere shortages that are covered by food importation. This is unquestionably good. On the other hand, this intensive crop production negatively impacts UHC implementation because it requires the use of agrochemicals that contaminate the environment in health-harming ways. As a result, the intensive food production and its distribution increase the risk of outbreaks of foodborne diseases that spread over wide geographical areas. They also increase the risk of chronic diseases that lead to high levels of obesity and deprivation of essential nutrients in growing children. The impact of these scenarios is that they slow down UHC implementation since the diseases are costly to investigate and treat.
Moreover, climate change has been detrimental to UHC implementation since this is a global issue that the world is trying to combat. In recent years, the world has been grappling with the cost of combating climate change as a result of non-informed past policies that favored the growth of economic wealth over the protection of ecological health. Global warming, prolonged drought, wildfires, floods, and animal deaths have hurt UHC implementation. These occurrences have led to soaring global food prices, and outbreak of communicable and waterborne diseases that largely affect poor households in the country. The economy has also deteriorated such that most people cannot access affordable health care due to money scarcity both locally and internationally. The pinch is being felt in the health sector ranging from government health budgets to commitments of official development assistance and other global health initiatives (Okech & Lelegwe, 2016).
Additionally, water impacts the implementation of UHC both negatively and positively. Water is considered as a basic requirement for human survival. When clean water is in plenty, there is low transmission and contraction of waterborne diseases. As such the population’s health is maintained and inexpensive. On the other hand, scarcity of water coupled with water pollution negatively impacts the environment which leads to the development of diseases that are expensive to treat.
Furthermore, infrastructure such as roads and education both negatively and positively impacts UHC implementation. On the positive side, accessible roads are crucial, especially for rural populations who seek medical attention at healthcare facilities. Timely diagnosis and treatment reduce mortality rates which is one of the key policies for UHC. Again, the general population should be sensitized and informed on the risks and benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. These range from the foods eaten, clean environment, causes, and prevention of certain diseases. Therefore, an educated population is less likely to spend more on healthcare treatment compared to a non-informed population (Cerf, 2021).
In conclusion, non-health factors play a crucial in UHC implementation both negatively and positively. These factors include agriculture which entails intensive food production and industrialization of food policies. Again, climate change negatively impacts UHC implementation due to the effects of global warming, drought, and floods. Lastly, infrastructure which includes access to good roads and clean water positively influences UHC implementation while inaccessible roads and lack of clean water lead to the spread of diseases that are expensive to treat.
References
Cerf, M. E. (2021). Health worker resourcing to meet universal health coverage in Africa. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 14(3), 789-796.
Okech, T. C., & Lelegwe, S. L. (2016). Analysis of universal health coverage and equity in health care in Kenya. Global journal of health science, 8(7), 218.
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