The global community has committed to work together to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite this, at least half the world’s population still lack access to essential health services and increasing numbers of people are being are pushed into poverty by having to spend too much of their household budgets on healthcare expenses. Achieving a world in which all people can get the health services they need without financial hardship requires bold actions from governments.
There is no single path to achieving UHC and countries must define their own essential health service packages and detailed pathways. The challenge now is to translate aspirations into achievements. The first-ever High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage taking place in September 2019 provides a unique opportunity to galvanise political action needed to drive progress on UHC. We encourage governments and partners to make sure it is a truly transformational moment.
This Index presents progress on 12 key indicators for driving progress and accountability on UHC. It covers 81 Countdown to 2030 countries that together account for more than 90% of under-five child deaths and 95% of maternal deaths in the world.3 It shows that without concerted effort from governments, donors, civil society and the international community, we will not achieve UHC by 2030.