WHO | Health financing for universal coverage

Health financing for universal coverage

Universal coverage, or universal health coverage, is defined as ensuring that all people can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.

fact buffet

Impoverishment

100million people pushed into poverty because of direct health payments

10 facts on universal health coverage

Access to services

48%of births attended by a skilled health worker in the African region

World health statistics 2012

Increase priority given to health

79countries devote less than 10% of general government expenditure to health

Health financing country profiles

News and Events

WHO/World Bank ministerial meeting on universal health coverage

Top officials from health and finance ministries from 27 countries joined other high-level health and development stakeholders at a two-day meeting, 18-19 February 2013, in Geneva to discuss ways that countries are progressing towards universal health coverage.

The 67th General Assembly of the United Nations Encourages Member States to Plan, Pursue Transition of National Health Care Systems towards Universal Coverage

Press release

Conference of Ministers of Finance and Health: Value for Money, Sustainability and Accountability in the Health Sector, Tunis 4-5 July, 2012

International focus on universal coverage

WHO’s work on universal coverage is part of an increased international consensus on the need to accelerate progress towards universal coverage through concrete actions and reforms as underlined in the Bangkok Statement on Universal Health Coverage and the Mexico City Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage