Achieving UHC Through Primary Health Care: Reflections From CUGH

The historic 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata pushed primary health care to the top of the global health agenda. More than 40 years later, what role can primary care play in achieving universal health coverage as envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goals? This was the central topic of discussion during a dynamic morning panel at the 10th annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) conference, titled Achieving UHC Through Primary Health Care: Reflection on Alma Ata at 40. 

The panel brought together authors of a new report from the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health, including GHELI Faculty Director Sue J. Goldie; Osondu Obuoji (Deputy Director, Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke University); Agnes Soucat (Director of Health Systems Governance and Financing, World Health Organization); and David Watkins (Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington). The panel was facilitated by Gavin Yamey, Professor of Global Health and Public Policy at Duke University.

In both the panel and report, Goldie and her co-authors revisited their conclusion from the 2013 Commission report, Global Health 2035: A World Converging Within a Generation (GH2035), that a grand convergence in health is technically and financially feasible for all but the poorest countries by 2035. During the panel, Goldie underscored the “unprecedented” demographic and epidemiological shifts which, alongside the globalization, have immense implications for achieving a grand convergence.

At CUGH, panelists discussed how convergence targets for under-5 and HIV/AIDS mortality could be achieved by 2035 should global mortality trends from 2010-2016 continued, but will fall short on targets for maternal and tuberculosis mortality. By 2035, most middle-income countries will be able to afford primary health care platforms for delivery of essential universal health coverage. However, many middle-income countries will struggle to meet reduction targets for non-communicable diseases, and many low-income countries will still lack the financing capacity to complete the “unfinished agenda” of grand convergence. In essence, this report—and the panel—was a renewal of the call for national governments to invest in health to boost wellbeing and prosperity globally. 

Taking place in Chicago, IL, the CUGH conference unpacked approaches towards closing the “knowledge-needs” gap, scaling up solutions that work, and shaping public policies to effectively address global challenges. Founded in 2008, CUGH brings together over 170 academic institutions and other organizations from around the world engaged in addressing global health challenges.