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    • Universal Health Coverage Day

    Health for all is an achievable goal

    2015 is a milestone year for many reasons — let's make sure it is remembered for delivering on the right to health for all. An exclusive column on UHC Day by Tanya Barron, CEO of Plan UK.

    By Tanya Barron // 12 December 2014

    The Ebola epidemic has taught the world a valuable lesson in how weak health systems and deadly viruses can combine to devastating effect. As international generosity funds a rapid response and our staff are being deployed in an effort to end the crisis, the whole world has been given a shot in the arm — and a reason to mobilize around comprehensive, reliable and integrated health systems.

    Health crises like Ebola demonstrate the need for strong health systems but more than that, they highlight the links between health care and a child’s broader right to a happy and healthy life. Beyond the impact on health, there has been a devastating knock-on effect on education, for instance, with schools remaining closed in an effort to stem the spread of the disease. Child protection programs have needed to step up to support orphaned children coping with stigma and grief. The crisis is having an impact on food security, too. And so it becomes clear that the failure to instil robust and accessible health systems can have long-term, devastating impacts on people’s lives.

    But of course, weak health systems are not only a concern while Ebola dominates the news; they are a perpetual, long-term challenge limiting the life chances of millions worldwide. Development assistance, for all the good that it does, can be criticized for being too short-term in its thinking. The business of building resilient health systems is not always the most compelling story — for instance, when was the last time you read an article in the mainstream media about the need for strong institutions to support the financing of health systems? But these are precisely the sorts of concerns that must be addressed systematically, long after the journalists leave West Africa and public attention turns to the next big issue.

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    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the author

    • Tanya Barron

      Tanya Barron

      Tanya Barron is CEO of Plan U.K. since January 2013. Previously, she was international director at Leonard Cheshire Disability, and in 2003 was given the European Woman of Achievement (Humanitarian) award. Barron also holds various trusteeships and is currently a board member of the World Bank's Global Partnership on Disability and Development.

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