Health Affairs September 23, 2019
Today, at the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, heads of state from around the world will pledge to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030. This will be an unprecedented moment in public health: according to the declaration being negotiated by member states, this commitment is being made globally “for the first time.” Whether or not the new commitment succeeds will depend on a large degree of advocacy at the national level.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines UHC according to three objectives, each associated with the delivery of health services: access to services should be equitable (available to everyone who needs them), of sufficient quality to improve health, and affordable without incurring “financial harm.” For these...