The Imperative for Integrating Climate Change Concept into Universal Health Coverage Framework

Climate change is at the fore of the most pressing global problems in the contemporary world. The impact of the changing climate, particularly on public health, is unprecedented, with health problems ranging from respiratory and heart diseases, pest-related diseases, and water- and food-related illnesses, among others. Health was declared a fundamental human right after the 1948 World Health Organization discussions. After that, Member States ultimately committed to attaining the highest level of health for all. Building upon these commitments, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) emerged based on the United Nations General Assembly under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Resolution (A/RES/70/1), asserting Member States to speed up progress toward UHC in an equitable manner. This study argues that UHC’s progress is threatened by climate change through aggravating disease patterns, destruction of healthcare infrastructure, exacerbating food insecurity, compromising air quality, and other health-related hazards. The following three questions underpin the study objectives: (a) What are UHC’s current thematic interests? (b) How are these UHC interests interfered with by climate change? (c) How can these interferences be addressed within the UHC framework to safeguard its objectives? All 243 articles studied point to climate change as one global threat to the five thematic areas of UHC: healthcare promotion, disease prevention, disease treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. The findings will contribute to the ongoing policy debate about how building a solid UHC and safeguarding public healthcare will largely depend on addressing climate change and its impacts. Secondly, the study identified how climate change and UHC are inextricably linked, and the urgency to address this interplay. Thirdly, the findings will contribute to SDG 3-Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG 13-Climate Action. Lastly, the investigation paves the way for more research, particularly in climate change and diseases, climate change and AMRs, and climate change and the health vulnerability of some groups of people, essentially the women, children, and the very old.