UHC and Health System

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About universal health coverage

Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

Achieving UHC is one of the targets the nations of the world set when adopting the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Countries that advance towards UHC will make progress towards the other health-related targets, and towards the other Sustainable Development Goals.

Moving towards UHC requires strengthening health systems in all countries. Robust financing structures are key, as are the availability, accessibility, and capacity of health workers to deliver quality people-centred integrated care. Good governance, sound systems of procurement and supply of medicines and health technologies and well-functioning health information systems are other critical elements

WHO is supporting countries to develop their health systems to move towards and sustain UHC, and to monitor progress. It does so by collaborating with many different partners in different situations and for different purposes to advance UHC around the world.

Strong health systems are needed to ensure individual and global public health security. In 2015, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa highlighted the importance of health systems on the frontline of preparedness for epidemic surveillance and response.

We must ensure the capacity of health systems to take on public health emergencies, and continue to provide essential care under even the most challenging circumstances. Strengthening local, provincial and national capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) is therefore a critical element of UHC.

Please click here to learn more about WHO’s work to achieve universal health coverage

By investing in health emergency preparedness, a key component of UHC, pandemics and health epidemics can be at best prevented, and at least detected and responded to quickly, minimizing their health, and economic impact.

With a health system leading intersectoral efforts for preparedness, an epidemic never becomes a pandemic, an outbreak does not become an epidemic, and outbreaks can possibly be prevented.

The Strategic Partnership for International Health Regulations (2005) and Health Security (SPH) underscores the need to support Member States to build and sustain strong national, regional and global frameworks for multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships. These increase the effectiveness of health security governance and help strengthen health systems,making SPH an important tool to achieve universal health coverage.

SPH is currently mapping the resources that are relevant for universal health coverage, IHR (2005) and global health security.

Monitoring progress towards UHC should focus on 2 things:

  • The proportion of a population that can access essential quality health services. Currently, at least half of the world’s population still does not have full coverage of essential health services.
  • The proportion of the population that spends a large amount of household income on health.

Together with the World Bank, WHO has developed a framework to track the progress of UHC by monitoring both categories, taking into account both the overall level and the extent to which UHC is equitable, offering service coverage and financial protection to all people within a population, such as the poor or those living in remote rural areas. One of the 16 overall indicators towards achieving UHC is health security: compliance with the International Health Regulations.

For more information on indicators, please click here
Guidelines Reports
Universal Health Coverage and Health System  
Region Country UHC 2030 UHC partnership NHPSP HIPC Emergency grade WHO FCS WHO HRP CADRI
Eastern Mediterranean Region Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region N/A N/A N/A N/A Grade 1 - Limited Response N/A N/A N/A
African Region Zimbabwe N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed Yes
African Region Zambia Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Yemen Partner Partner Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Vanuatu N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Uzbekistan N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Uruguay N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Ukraine Partner Partner Completed N/A Grade 2 - Moderate Response N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Tuvalu N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
European Region Türkiye N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
Region of the Americas Trinidad And Tobago N/A Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Western Pacific Region Tonga N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Togo Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
South-East Asia Region Timor-leste N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
European Region North Macedonia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
South-East Asia Region Thailand Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Tajikistan N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Syrian Arab Republic Partner N/A Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
European Region Switzerland Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Sweden Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region Eswatini N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Suriname N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
South-East Asia Region Sri Lanka N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Spain Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region South Sudan N/A Partner Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
African Region South Africa Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Solomon Islands N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
European Region Slovenia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Slovakia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Singapore N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Seychelles N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Serbia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
African Region Sao Tome And Principe N/A Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
European Region San Marino N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Samoa N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Saint Vincent and the Grenadines N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Saint Lucia N/A Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas Saint Kitts And Nevis N/A Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region Rwanda Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
European Region Russian Federation N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Romania N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Republic Of Moldova N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Republic Of Korea N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Portugal Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Poland N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Philippines N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Peru N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Paraguay N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Papua New Guinea N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Panama N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Palau N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Oman Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Norway Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Niue N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Nigeria Partner Partner Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed Yes
African Region Niger Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed Yes
Region of the Americas Nicaragua N/A N/A Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region New Zealand N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Netherlands Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
South-East Asia Region Nepal Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Nauru N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Madagascar Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
African Region Malawi N/A Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
South-East Asia Region Maldives N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Malta N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
Western Pacific Region Marshall Islands N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
African Region Mauritius N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Mexico N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
Western Pacific Region Micronesia (Federated States Of) N/A Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
European Region Monaco N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Western Pacific Region Mongolia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Montenegro N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
European Region Lithuania N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Libya Partner N/A Completed N/A Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
African Region Lesotho N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Luxembourg Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Latvia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Lao People's Democratic Republic N/A Partner Completed N/A Grade 1 - Limited Response Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Kiribati N/A Partner Completed N/A Completed N/A
European Region Kazakhstan N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Jordan Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A Yes
Western Pacific Region Japan Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas Jamaica N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Italy Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Israel N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Ireland N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Iraq Partner Partner Completed N/A Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Iran (Islamic Republic of) Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
South-East Asia Region Indonesia Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
South-East Asia Region India N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Iceland N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Honduras N/A Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Haiti Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Guyana N/A Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
African Region Guinea-bissau Partner Partner Completed Yes High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
African Region Guinea Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
Region of the Americas Guatemala N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Grenada N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Greece N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Germany Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Georgia Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
African Region Gambia Partner Partner Completed Yes Completed Yes
African Region Gabon N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region France Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Fiji N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Estonia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Equatorial Guinea N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas El Salvador Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Egypt Partner Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas Ecuador N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Dominican Republic N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas Dominica N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Djibouti Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Denmark Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region Democratic Republic Of The Congo Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
South-East Asia Region Democratic People's Republic Of Korea N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Czechia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Cyprus N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Cuba N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Croatia N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Costa Rica N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Cook Islands N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Congo Partner Partner Completed Yes High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
African Region Comoros Partner Partner Completed Yes High-Institutional and Social Fragility N/A Yes
Region of the Americas Colombia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region China N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Chile Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Chad Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed Yes
African Region Central African Republic N/A Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Canada Partner N/A N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Cameroon Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
African Region Cabo Verde Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region Burundi Partner Partner Completed Yes C – Countries of concern High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed Yes
African Region Burkina Faso Partner Partner Completed Yes Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed Yes
European Region Bulgaria N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Brunei Darussalam N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Brazil N/A N/A Completed N/A Grade 2 - Moderate Response N/A Completed N/A
African Region Botswana N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
European Region Bosnia and Herzegovina N/A N/A N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Bolivia (Plurinational State of) N/A Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
South-East Asia Region Bhutan N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Benin Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
European Region Belgium Partner N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Region of the Americas Barbados N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Bahamas N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Azerbaijan N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Austria N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Australia Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Argentina N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas Antigua and Barbuda N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Angola N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Algeria N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Hungary N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Andorra N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Belarus N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
Western Pacific Region Malaysia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region United Arab Emirates Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Saudi Arabia Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Kuwait Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
South-East Asia Region Myanmar Partner N/A Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
European Region Finland Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Uganda Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
African Region Mauritania Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
African Region Ghana Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
African Region Kenya Partner Partner Completed N/A Grade 1 - Limited Response N/A Completed N/A
African Region Mali Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed Yes
Western Pacific Region Viet Nam Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Region of the Americas United States of America N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
European Region Turkmenistan N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Tunisia Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Sudan Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Somalia Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
African Region Sierra Leone Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed N/A
African Region Senegal Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 2 - Moderate Response N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Qatar Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Namibia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A Yes
African Region Mozambique Partner Partner Completed Yes Medium-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Morocco Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region Liberia Partner Partner Completed Yes High-Institutional and Social Fragility N/A N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Lebanon Partner Partner Completed N/A High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
European Region Kyrgyzstan Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
African Region Ethiopia Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
African Region Eritrea N/A Partner Completed Yes High-Institutional and Social Fragility Completed N/A
Western Pacific Region Cambodia Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed N/A
African Region Côte d'Ivoire Partner Partner Completed Yes N/A Completed Yes
Region of the Americas Belize N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
South-East Asia Region Bangladesh N/A Partner Completed N/A Grade 3 - Major/Maximal Response N/A Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Bahrain Partner N/A Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
European Region Armenia N/A Partner Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
European Region Albania N/A N/A Completed N/A N/A Completed Yes
Eastern Mediterranean Region Afghanistan Partner Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response High-Intensity Conflict Completed N/A
Eastern Mediterranean Region Pakistan Partner Partner Completed N/A N/A N/A N/A
African Region United Republic Of Tanzania N/A Partner Completed Yes Grade 1 - Limited Response N/A Completed N/A