Access to Healthcare Services

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE (UCH)

Universal health coverage (UHC) ensures that everyone can access quality healthcare without facing financial hardship. It includes all essential health services, from prevention to palliative care. Achieving UHC requires strong, equitable health systems rooted in communities, with primary healthcare (PHC) as a central component. Each country's path to UHC varies, based on population needs and resources. Investing in PHC ensures comprehensive care, a skilled workforce, and collaboration across sectors to address health challenges, including emergencies.

WHO prioritizes achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by recommending a Primary Health Care (PHC) approach. By 2025, WHO aims for 1 billion more people to benefit from UHC. In fragile health systems, the focus is on technical assistance and service delivery, while in robust systems, it's on policy dialogue and strategic support. This effort is backed by normative guidance, research, leadership in diplomacy, advocacy, gender equality, health equity, multisectoral action, and finance.

WHO's efforts align with SDG target 3.8, aiming for universal health coverage, including financial protection and access to quality healthcare and essential medicines. However, globally, progress toward UHC faces challenges: service coverage stagnates, and the number of people experiencing catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending rises.