The McCabe Centre launches new Policy Brief for the Western Pacific Region on UHC Day

Thursday 12 December, 2024

The McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Law & Noncommunicable Disease, is proud to launch a new Policy Brief for the Western Pacific Region on Law, Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

The Policy Brief is being launched today, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, and the theme this year is: Health: it’s on the government. UHC has three goals: equity in access, quality healthcare services (including prevention and health promotion measures), and financial risk protection. 

We know that by investing in Universal Health Coverage, we increase health and wellbeing, as well as improve equity and social cohesion – which is of benefit to all governments, as well as the individuals and communities they serve.

 With the urgent need for action in the Western Pacific Region (1 in 5, approx. 385 million people face 'catastrophic' health expenses) each year due to out-of-pocket healthcare costs, we’ve developed a policy brief on law, UHC and NCDs specifically for the region. 

“The Policy Brief sets out the reasons why action on NCDs and UHC are mutually reinforcing, and the critical role law plays in realising these interlinked public health agendas. It also covers key factors that governments and countries need to consider when using law to act on NCDs and advance UHC,” said Tarishi Desai, McCabe Centre’s Manager - Treatment & Supportive Care. 

“Because there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to achieving UHC, we’ve included three country case studies: from Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines, with practical examples of laws these countries have implemented to assist their communities with their healthcare needs, and goals,” she added. 

We hope you find this a valuable resource. 

Link to the policy brief here

If you have any queries, please contact the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer, Email: info@mccabecentre.org.

Recent Posts

picture of jeremy

Reflections from our Melbourne Law School intern: Jeremy Hand

Monday 12 May 2025
If I look back to when I finished school, I had interests in both law and health. I studied biomedicine in my undergraduate degree and have subsequently gone on to study law but had not yet found a way to combine the two areas of interest. Fortunately, I came across the McCabe Centre through the Melbourne Law School’s legal internship program.
SZ and RT at air pollution conf

Laws for clean air will save lives

Friday 11 April 2025
Reflections on the 2nd WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health: There are few things more important to life than the air we breathe. Yet almost nobody on the planet has access to clean air - 99% of the world live somewhere where the air fails to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality standards, and air pollution kills more than 7 million people each year.
Law picture

Putting human rights at the heart of cancer prevention

Monday 7 April 2025
Human rights law recognises that cancer prevention protects and promotes our right to health. Suzanne Zhou, from the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer and member of the WCRF Policy Advisory Group, explains how and why cancer prevention advocates must engage with this body of law to maximise the co-benefits of human rights and cancer prevention policies in this piece for World Cancer Research Fund.
woman power and cancer

Women, power and cancer - implementing the Lancet Commission's recommendations

Saturday 5 April 2025
How do gender dynamics shape cancer prevention, treatment, and care? UICC’s new 9-week online course explores this critical issue, offering insights from the Lancet Commission on women, power and cancer. This new course covers the influence of gender dynamics in cancer prevention, treatment, and care -and how to advocate for change.
Careers Image

Thank you Sondra Davoren: a tribute to her time at the McCabe Centre and Cancer Council Victoria

Tuesday 25 March 2025
After over 16 years of dedicated service to the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer and Cancer Council Victoria, we extend our deepest gratitude to Sondra Davoren, as she leaves the McCabe Centre and takes up a new role as Senior Legal Counsel at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.