The new era of health goals: Universal health coverage as a pathway to the sustainable development goals

Abstract

The inclusion of universal health coverage (UHC) as a target in the health Sustainable Development Goals speaks to its importance as both a foundational and an end goal for global health. Across the globe, countries are in varying stages of progress toward UHC. To help countries where there is a wide gap between the reality of limited access and the aspirations of universality, we must prioritize investments to progressively realize UHC. For these countries, we must focus on the poor at the outset. For countries in the midst of economic transition with greater capacity and resources, we must focus on mobilizing domestic resources to ensure sustainable financing for UHC. As members of the global health community, we must continue to invest in global public goods to properly support monitoring and measurement to track progress on UHC.