Why Accountability Matters for Universal Health Coverage and Meeting the SDGs (The Lancet, 2019)

Reference Summary (Article)

Abstract

This reference summary presents key information from the following article: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30434-9. The source is a commentary titled “Why accountability matters for universal health coverage and meeting the SDGs”, authored by Yamin AE and Mason E, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent (IAP: Nicholas Kojo Alipui, Dame Carol Kidu, Brenda Killen, Elizabeth Mason, Giorgi Pkhakadze, Jovana Ríos Cisnero, Gita Sen, Alicia Ely Yamin, Kul Chandra Gautam, and Joy Phumaphi), and published in The Lancet in 2019. The article emphasizes the critical role of accountability in achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the need to connect political commitments with measurable outcomes. It underscores the importance of transparent monitoring, independent review, and corrective action to ensure effective implementation and equitable progress. The discussion reinforces accountability as a central pillar of global health governance and a key mechanism to ensure that no one is left behind.