Universal Coverage

Providing universal coverage of health care, delivered through well functioning health systems, is essential to protect the population of the ESCAP region from catastrophic health expenditures leading to poverty. The region is exceptionally diverse in its levels of economic development and the state of its national health systems. No single answer or set of issues will be relevant to all countries. However, it contains several success stories in achieving universal coverage of health care at all levels of development, and these can provide important lessons.

Many countries in the region do have policies in place which profess to the goal of universal health care, though, in practice it is that resource and other constraints hinder governments from putting the policies into effect.

There is wide diversity in the performance of health systems in the region in ensuring effective and equitable access to health services. Although higher-income economies do generally better, it is also true that some low- and middle-income economies in the region also do well, underlining the importance of health policies and health systems design.

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Resolution on Sustainable financing towards achieving universal health-care coverage in Asia and the Pacific, adopted on 22 May 2007 (E/ESCAP/63/L.7/Rev.4).

Please click here to download the factsheet on the universal coverage of health care.