Back Asistencia sanitaria universal AN رعاية صحية شاملة Arabic বৈশ্বিক স্বাস্থ্যসেবা Bengali/Bangla Καθολική υγειονομική περίθαλψη Greek Universala sanzorgado EO Asistencia sanitaria universal Spanish Osasun arreta unibertsal EU مراقبت سلامتی همگانی FA Univerzalna zdravstvena zaštita Croatian Cakupan kesehatan semesta ID

Universal health care

Universal health care (also called universal health coverage, universal coverage, or universal care) is a health care system in which all residents of a particular country or region are assured access to health care. It is generally organized around providing either all residents or only those who cannot afford on their own, with either health services or the means to acquire them, with the end goal of improving health outcomes.[1]

Universal healthcare does not imply coverage for all cases and for all people – only that all people have access to healthcare when and where needed without financial hardship. Some universal healthcare systems are government-funded, while others are based on a requirement that all citizens purchase private health insurance. Universal healthcare can be determined by three critical dimensions: who is covered, what services are covered, and how much of the cost is covered.[1] It is described by the World Health Organization as a situation where citizens can access health services without incurring financial hardship.[2] Then-Director General of the WHO Margaret Chan described universal health coverage as the "single most powerful concept that public health has to offer" since it unifies "services and delivers them in a comprehensive and integrated way".[3] One of the goals with universal healthcare is to create a system of protection which provides equality of opportunity for people to enjoy the highest possible level of health.[4] Critics say that universal healthcare leads to longer wait times and worse quality healthcare.[5]

As part of Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations member states have agreed to work toward worldwide universal health coverage by 2030.[6][better source needed] Therefore the inclusion of the universal health coverage (UHC) within the SDGs targets can be related to the reiterated endorsements operated by the WHO.[7]

  1. ^ a b World Health Organization (November 22, 2010). The world health report: health systems financing: the path to universal coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization. ISBN 978-92-4-156402-1. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  2. ^ "Universal health coverage (UHC)". Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  3. ^ Matheson, Don * (January 1, 2015). "Will Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Lead to the Freedom to Lead Flourishing and Healthy Lives? Comment on "Inequities in the Freedom to Lead a Flourishing and Healthy Life: Issues for Healthy Public Policy"". International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 4 (1): 49–51. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2015.09. PMC 4289038. PMID 25584354.
  4. ^ Abiiro, Gilbert Abotisem; De Allegri, Manuela (July 4, 2015). "Universal health coverage from multiple perspectives: a synthesis of conceptual literature and global debates". BMC International Health and Human Rights. 15: 17. doi:10.1186/s12914-015-0056-9. ISSN 1472-698X. PMC 4491257. PMID 26141806.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Universal health coverage (UHC)". World Health Organization. December 12, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  7. ^ {{cite web Greco, S., Putans, R., & Springe, L. (2022). Antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance in developing countries: Health economics, global governance, and sustainable development goals. In Antimicrobial Resistance: Collaborative Measures of Control (pp. 113-140). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003313175}}