Dec 12: International Universal Health Coverage Day
Unaffordable Health Costs? We're Sick of It!
Each year on December 12, the world observes the International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day), commemorating the historic 2012 United Nations resolution that urged all nations to ensure accessible, quality, and affordable healthcare for all people, without causing financial hardship.
Health is not a luxury. It is a human right. Yet today, half the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services, and even in high-income countries like Canada, access to comprehensive care remains uneven and inequitable. UHC Day is both a commemoration and a call to action, a reminder that health systems must be rooted in dignity, equity, and resilience.
This year’s global theme, "Unaffordable health costs? We're sick of it!", speaks to the growing burden of out-of-pocket health expenses and the urgent need to prioritize public investment in inclusive, accessible systems. It speaks directly to social workers, health professionals, community advocates, and everyday people who see first-hand the human cost of a fragmented and inequitable healthcare system. It’s a rallying cry for policymakers to centre health equity in every decision and every budget.
Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system is a source of national pride, but it doesn’t cover everything, and it doesn’t cover everyone equally. Mental health services, prescription medications, dental and vision care, and long-term supports often fall outside of provincial and territorial plans. For people on low or fixed incomes, these uncovered costs can lead to delayed care, worsening health, or impossible financial choices.
Indigenous communities continue to face significant barriers to equitable care, including jurisdictional disputes, racism, chronic underfunding, and geographical isolation. Racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, and newcomer communities often experience stigma, discrimination, and a lack of culturally safe care. These gaps are not reflect how systems have been designed and who they have been designed for.
Health is shaped by far more than medical care. It is deeply connected to housing, income, disability status, employment, and identity. If universal health coverage is to mean anything, it must address these intersecting realities; in policy, in service design, and in everyday practice.
Equity in Action
Social workers are essential to achieving health equity. Across hospitals, schools, shelters, and communities, social workers help individuals navigate systems, advocate for care, and respond to crises when systems fail. They stand alongside those who face the greatest barriers to health, including people impacted by violence, disability, trauma, poverty, and homelessness.
But social workers are also navigating under-resourced and overstretched systems, where services are fragmented, waitlists are long, and funding doesn’t reflect the complexity of community needs. As professionals committed to justice and dignity, social workers are both caregivers and advocates, pushing for systems that are not only more accessible but also more accountable. UHC Day reminds us that equity must be funded, not just envisioned. Alberta’s health and social services require sustained public investment, trauma-informed care models, and meaningful engagement with the communities they serve.
In Alberta, recent and proposed changes to health care legislation and funding have caused concern among health and social service workers. Restructuring within Alberta Health Services (AHS), combined with proposed privatization of some health services, has prompted questions about long-term access, equity, and accountability. We must move beyond headlines and centre the lived experiences of those most impacted by gaps in coverage. Health systems that work for the most marginalized will work for everyone.
What Universal Health Coverage Requires
On December 12, we reaffirm that healthcare is not a commodity. It is a shared social responsibility.
A truly universal system must include:
Public investment in mental health, pharmacare, dental and vision care
Community-led, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded services
Equity-focused policy frameworks that include Indigenous, racialized, disabled, and newcomer perspectives
Fair wages and working conditions for healthcare and social service professionals
Transparent systems of governance, funding, and accountability
Health coverage must be holistic, not fragmented. It must reflect prevention, treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, and care across the lifespan, and across the province. Advancing universal health coverage requires meaningful engagement at every level; from individuals and communities to organizations and policymakers. As individuals, we can begin by educating ourselves about the gaps in health coverage across Alberta and Canada. Understanding who is excluded, and why, is essential to building momentum for change. By supporting advocacy efforts for national pharmacare, mental health parity, and inclusive care models, we help amplify the call for systems that prioritize equity over efficiency.
Community organizations and service providers play a vital role in shaping accessible and inclusive systems. This includes offering trauma-informed, culturally safe services that respond to the diverse needs of the people they serve. Collaboration across sectors, including housing, education, and income supports, ensures more comprehensive and coordinated care. These organizations can also advocate for policy changes that centre the voices of marginalized populations and address structural barriers head-on.
For policymakers and public leaders, the path forward is clear. Achieving health equity requires robust investment in services beyond hospitals and physician care, including preventative health, mental health, dental, vision, and community-based supports. Funding models must be stable, inclusive, and grounded in principles of justice. Most critically, policy development must be guided by the insights of those with lived experience and informed by the expertise of frontline workers who understand the realities of our current systems.
Resources
Indigenous Services Canada – Health