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The Urgency of Universal Health Coverage
Policy for the Implementation of Public Health
Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic
S. Dhike Putri and Gayatri Dyah Suprobowati(B)
Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia
gayatridyah@staff.uns.ac.id
Abstract. Health services are a basic need that is included in the Mandatory
Government Affairs relating to Basic Services. Hospitals, puskesmas or similar
institutions carry out health services as a form of interpretation of the duties and
authorities of local governments. Withthe supervision process, the implementation
of health services is expected to run optimally and in accordance with the target
provisions that have been established.
Keyword: health services
1 Introduction
The state is the only foundation and hope for the community during the Covid-19 pan-
demic which has claimed many lives at this time. As the purpose of the formation of the
state, individuals and communities have the right to obtain security guarantees, safety
of life and property from natural threats and opponents who come from outside their
community. The state gains authority and legitimacy from society to maintain harmony,
protect private and community rights and realize shared wellbeing, or bonum comune.
In the practice of the state, state administrators have an obligation to fulfill all basic
human needs in accordance with the essence of a complete human being, namely the
entire human person consisting of body and soul. Aristotle stated about the obligations
of this state in his writings known as the Nicomachean Ethics, in his book, The Republic
[1]. In the modern society, the state must fully guarantee the rights to the freedom
of individuals and communities of citizens, the safety and security of their property,
as well as their body and soul [1]. These rights are known as basic rights that are
given, which in the context of the development of a modern state are then referred to
as fundamental rights or human rights. Likewise, during the COVID-19 pandemic that
hit almost all countries in the world today, health is a primary need for every individual
and society. The state as the person in charge of the safety of all its citizens is required
to ensure and protect the health of the body and soul of all citizens and residents in its
territory. In the terms of public service implementation, the government as the executor
of the function, responsibilities, and duties of the state must work hard to overcome the
pandemic outbreak. [2].
© The Author(s) 2023
S. U. Firdaus et al. (Eds.): YICGH 2022, AHSR 65, pp. 68–71, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-206-4_10
The Urgency of Universal Health Coverage Policy 69
In the practice of living as a state in Indonesia, service facilities and financial support
for the fulfillment of guarantees for the implementation of public health are one of the
responsibilities of the state in realizing general welfare [2]. As a means of supporting the
fulfillment of public health, the Government has established the National Social Security
System-Healthy Indonesia Card (SJSN-KIS) with the Social Security Administering
Body (BPJS), as an institution that manages the implementation of health insurance and
services for the community.
2 Discussion
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has emerged since the last thirteen years, triggered by
the growing understanding of the relationship between barriers to population access to
essential and quality health services and the impoverishment of families due to spending
on health services. The Ministers of Health of the Member States of the United Nations
(UN) agreed at the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting initiated by the United
Nations in 2005, to promote UHC in national development policies in their respective
countries.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is actually not a new concept. The United Nations
has driven various efforts to urge its member states to guarantee health services for their
population. Starting from the Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the United Nations
has continued to lead the health service movements for the population. All residents of
developed and developing countries members of the United Nations [3]. The 1948 United
Nations Declaration on Human Rights, in Article 25 paragraph 1 states that everyone
have the right for living adequately in health and well-beinfg condition. They also have
rhe right for himself and his family of food, housing and health-care. The rights also
count in necessary social services, and event which make an unemployment such as
illness, disability, widow or widower, or any other condition outside control.
Another fundamental statement related to human rights, which guarantees basic
rights in the field of health is the ILO Convention Number 130 of 1969 Chapter 130 con-
cerning Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention, 1969. This convention regulates
the principles of health protection, minimum participation guarantee, basic benefits, and
health facilities for workers in each member country that ratifies this provision. Support
for efforts to ensure the right to health is also expressed in the 1978 Alma Alta Dec-
laration on Primary Health Care. The 1978 Alma Ata Declaration is a joint agreement
between 140 countries, as a result of the International Conference on Primary Health
Care, which was held in Alma Ata City, Kazakhstan [4]. This conference was held in
September 1978 in collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and
the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) on 6–12. The main formulation of the
1978 Alma Ata Declaration adopted by the countries participating in the Conference
was the statement that Primary Health Services is the main strategy for achieving health
for all, as a form of embodiment of human rights [5].
Based on this Alma Ata Declaration, UN member countries agree that to realize
the implementation of public services in the health sector by providing facilities and
guarantees for basic health services which include health education, increased food and
nutrition provision, maternal and child health services, clean water, sanitation provision,
70 S. D. Putri and G. D. Suprobowati
family planning, immunization, prevention and eradication of endemic diseases, treat-
ment of common diseases, and provision of essential medicines. The points of basic
health care guarantees that had been formulated in the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration were
strengthened again through WHA Resolution 58.33 in 2005 concerning Universal Health
Coverage [6]. The theme Sustainable Health Financing by WHA Resolution 58.33 bring
up seven urgings for UN member countries mainly to reform the health funding sys-
rem by considering UHC (Universal Health Coverage) to ensure both the availability
of essential health service and financial risks on health utilization when someone feels
unwell [7].
3 Conclusion
Based on the results of the discussion of the formulation of the problem in this article, it
can be concluded that the urgency of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy from
the perspective of health care for the community is the fulfillment of health insurance
that is affordable by all levels of society fairly and equitably to achieve prosperity and
happiness. as much as possible in accordance with the constitutional mandate. The
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) system scheme for public health is a public health
policy in the form of JKN. This policy has a different scope from UHC. The UHC system
has been modified by the Government in accordance with the conditions and objectives
of the national health administration, which is part of efforts to achieve the goals of
UHC.
References
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The Urgency of Universal Health Coverage Policy 71
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