The benefits of UHC13 14
| Health benefits | Broad health coverage leads ‘to better access to necessary care and improved population health, with the largest gains accruing to poorer people’.15 A study by Imperial College, London found that a 10% increase in pooled government health spending led to a reduction of almost 8 deaths per 1000 children under 5. Universal health coverage improves outcomes fastest among the poorest and most marginalised districts, supporting equity and reducing or eliminating disparities within populations.16 |
| Health system benefits | UHC can act as a driver of sustaining investments aimed at strengthening health systems, overcoming bottlenecks and, in particular, improving the availability and performance of healthcare workers and essential medicines and supplies.17 |
| Economic benefits | Healthier populations support economic growth while unhealthy populations, particularly those afflicted with preventable diseases, can slow down and even stall economic growth.18 With the use of ‘value life years’ to estimate the economic benefits, over the period 2015–2035 these benefits would exceed costs by a factor of about 9–20 for infectious diseases and for maternal and child health.3 It is estimated that every year 100 million households fall into poverty because of medical and health expenses.19 |
| Political benefits | As a political process, UHC requires strong redistributive policies and actions by the state and transparent processes for allocation of resources across different interest groups. Many politicians have found that extending health coverage to underserved populations is a popular policy and attracts support.20 It builds universalism and solidarity across social groups in society, acting as a force to unite rather than divide groups.21 |
| Helping to deliver the right to health | Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child22 (a convention signed by all countries in the Asia and Pacific regions) can be advanced through UHC in several ways. By covering the whole population, governments can guarantee the right to health of citizens.23 The package of services covered by UHC can advance many of the Convention's requirements, including care at birth, interventions to prevent diseases, nutrition counselling to parents and protection from harmful practices. |
UHC, universal health coverage.