Emergency care system is the imperative and invisible part of universal health coverage Being an essential part of the emergency system and health care

Abstract

Introduction: All around the world, acutely ill and injured people of all ages seek care every day. Emergency care is an integrated platform to deliver time-sensitive health care services for acute illness and injury across the life course. The emergency care system that delivers these services extends from care at the scene through transport and emergency unit care, and it ensures access to early operative and critical care when needed. Emergency care systems (ECSs) address a wide range of acute conditions, including injuries, communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and complications of pregnancy. Especially when there are barriers to health care access, people may seek care only when acutely ill or injured. Emergency care is an essential component of universal health coverage—a critical mechanism for ensuring accessible, affordable, high-quality care—and for many people around the world, it is the primary point of access to the health system. Emergency care (such as injuries, infections, obstetrical complications, stroke, myocardial infarction, and respiratory failure) account for a substantial health burden. Improving the organization of and planning for emergency care services substantially improves the outcomes of patients with emergency conditions. Summary: WHO ECS framework and the complementary essential package of emergency care services represent a mechanism by which emergency care can be scaled up globally, accelerating progress toward universal health coverage and a range of other SDG targets. By ensuring early recognition of acute conditions and timely access to needed care, organized emergency care systems save lives and amplify the impact of many other parts of the health system.