In 2019, the Political Declaration for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was unanimously adopted by member states at the UN General Assembly. Member states committed to the scale-up of competent, skilled, and motivated health workers, including CHWs. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how much the health of our communities is connected and that the commitment to achieve UHC is more vital than ever. Community health systems - a network of actors and resources connecting communities to health care -  are critical to achieving this goal. Investments in strong community health systems are needed not only to bolster the response to COVID-19, but to achieve UHC and stop future pandemics.

 

To deliver optimal outcomes, community health programming must be integrated into national health systems, be financially sustainable and rooted in quality. Our vision is recognition and commitment to community health programs across the UHC agenda. ​

 

The campaign will work to ensure that community health is a politically and financially supported priority at the national and global level and incorporated into long term, government-led strategies. Community health advocates need to leverage existing government commitments to UHC and public statements made by political leaders to hold them accountable and work together to advocate for public disclosures of health expenditures.

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Campaign Goal: To build and leverage political and financial commitment for community health within the UHC movement from the global to sub-national level

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2023 Campaign Objectives & Activities:

 

1. Support Community Health Worker Advocacy Efforts

   • Identify, support, and collaborate with CHW networks and associations to advocate for their priorities including professionalization and compensation at the national level by focusing on CHW storytelling. 

   • Facilitate and support the participation of CHW champions in both global events and national and sub-national forums to inform UHC commitments, strategies, and priorities. 

   • Conduct quarterly webinar series elevating CHW voices for CHWs to communicate and express challenges, tools needed, training, and supervision experiences to stakeholders

2. Sustain Political Will for Community Health and UHC at the National, Regional and Global Levels

   • Leverage members and like-minded coalitions at international and national forums to reach influential decision-makers and diverse audiences with campaign messaging

   • Identify and influence UHC and global health policies and strategies to ensure inclusion of community health

   • Expand campaign messaging to link CHWs with other (informal and formal) health workers and health systems (i.e. traditional birth attendants)

3. Document Community Health and UHC Progress toward the UN Political Declaration on UHC Commitments

   • In the lead-up to the 2023 update on the UHC political declaration, develop “living” scorecards to clearly document how CH moves UHC forward. 

   • Track national and sub-national level financing for UHC and community health in three priority countries.

   • Collect and submit CHW feedback to the UHC Monitoring Report

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