UHC & Human Rights Day 2025

This statement is jointly released by Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP), Activists’ Coalition on TB – Asia-Pacific (ACT! AP), Africa Japan Forum (AJF), Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), CSO Platform, and Seven Alliance (a consortium of Asia-Pacific networks: APCOM, APN+, APNSW, APTN, ICWAP, NAPUD, Youth LEAD) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Human Rights Day 2025.

This week, the world commemorates Human Rights Day and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day on the 10th and 12th of December respectively, an affirmation of every person’s inalienable civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, including the fundamental right to health. “Our Everyday Essentials”, this year’s Human Rights Day theme, emphasises that human rights should be positive, essential and attainable for all in our daily lives. Yet, this year’s UHC Day theme “Unaffordable Health Costs? We’re Sick of It!” reminds us of the immense challenge that key and vulnerable communities — including millions of people living with, vulnerable to and/or affected by HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria worldwide — face in accessing essential health services due to financial cost, among other significant barriers.

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