Perspective UNIVERSAL COVERAGE: DEFINITION, ACHIEVEMENTS AND GAPS

WHO defi nes universal health coverage as a mechanism where “everyone in the population has access to appropriate promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health care when they need it and at an affordable cost.”[1] Despite this broad defi nition, policy discussions at global and national levels have focused primarily on equitable access to clinical services provided and on fi nancial risk protection,[2] particularly the need for effective health fi nanc-ing mechanisms. For example, in the 58th World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2005, member states adopted resolution WHA 58/33 encouraging governments to develop sustainable health fi nanc-ing mechanisms to achieve or maintain universal coverage in terms of provision of health services.[3] Universal coverage in health care—as determined solely by fi nancing mechanisms and access to healthcare services— has been achieved in 27 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).[4] Encouraging progress has also been made in some low