ISN Liaises with EU and ACP to Promote Universal Health Coverage
The ISN is currently liaising with the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States representatives to ensure that a forthcoming partnership agreement between these blocs promotes UHC in all ACP countries, particularly regarding optimal health care for patients living with kidney diseases.
The Cotonou Agreement, signed in 2000 by the EU and the ACP, constituted the most comprehensive partnership agreement ever signed between the EU and third countries. Set to expire on 31 December 2020, negotiations are now underway to establish a new partnership agreement.
Almost 200 million people suffer catastrophic personal expenditure in ACP countries as a result of kidney disease, outnumbering any other disease group. Ensuring Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is essential for patients living with, or at risk of kidney diseases to access best-practice care and treatment.
The ISN strongly welcomes the ACP’s proposal that: “The new agreement, therefore, should further address the equitable access to healthcare and the pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in all ACP countries, building on strong and efficient health systems that can prevent and address communicable and non-communicable diseases.”
