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Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of Universal Health Coverage?
Which of the following is NOT one of the three related objectives of Universal Health Coverage?
How many additional health workers are estimated to be needed by 2030 to meet UHC targets?
What percentage of health expenditure typically comes from out-of-pocket payments?
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What is a consequence of financial hardship due to health care costs?
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What aspect of Universal Health Coverage emphasizes the need for health services to be tailored to community needs?
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What is the main goal of the integrated reproductive health priority area?
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Which of the following statements regarding global health infrastructure is correct?
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Which service is excluded from the full spectrum of essential health services under Universal Health Coverage?
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Which of the following priority areas focuses on ensuring the availability of essential drugs and medical supplies?
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What is the intended outcome of the hygiene, sanitation, and safer water priority area?
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Which priority area is aimed at improving health service delivery through strengthened operational systems?
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Which priority area seeks to reduce the incidence and mortality related to malaria?
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What is necessary for improving health service coverage and health outcomes?
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Which method best helps spread financial risks of illness across a population?
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What aspect of health services is emphasized by UHC beyond service coverage?
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What is a critical element necessary for achieving UHC?
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What major change is needed for health service delivery in the context of UHC?
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Which two factors should monitoring progress towards UHC focus on?
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What is often a barrier for the poor in accessing necessary health services?
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How can traditional and complementary medicine services be effectively integrated into health systems?
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What is a primary goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?
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Which of the following is NOT a component of UHC?
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What does UHC aim to prevent regarding financial consequences?
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How does UHC relate to the Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015?
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What is implied by the statement that UHC is not merely about health financing?
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What does UHC promote beyond health services?
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What does UHC fail to assure based on the provided content?
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What might hinder the progress of countries towards UHC?
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Which category includes indicators related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health?
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What is a primary goal of the framework developed by WHO and the World Bank to track UHC?
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Which health service is NOT included in the infectious diseases category?
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What element is included within the noncommunicable diseases category for UHC measurement?
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Why is it important for countries to develop their own methods of measuring UHC?
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Which of the following is NOT a component of service capacity and access indicators for UHC?
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What foundational principle underpins the WHO's approach to UHC?
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What is one benefit of using standardized measures in tracking UHC progress globally?
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Study Notes
Universal Health Coverage
- The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without financial hardship.
- UHC aims to provide healthcare and financial protection to everyone in a country with three objectives:
- Equity in access: everyone who needs healthcare should get it, not just those who can afford it.
- Quality of services: services should be effective enough to improve the health of those receiving them.
- Financial risk protection: the cost of healthcare should not put individuals at risk of financial hardship.
- All UN Member States have agreed to achieve UHC by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- UHC provides access to quality essential health services, safe, effective, and affordable medicines, and financial protection.
- Currently, at least 400 million people globally lack access to one or more essential health services.
- Each year, 100 million people are pushed into poverty, and 150 million suffer financial catastrophe due to out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
- On average, 32% of each country's health expenditure comes from out-of-pocket payments.
- Achieving UHC requires a transformation in healthcare funding, management, and delivery, focusing on the needs of individuals and communities.
- More than 18 million additional health workers are needed by 2030 to meet the health workforce requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals and UHC targets.
- Two-thirds (38 million) of 56 million deaths each year are still not registered globally.
What UHC Is Not
- UHC does not mean free coverage for all possible health interventions regardless of cost, as no country can sustainably provide all services free of charge.
- UHC is not just about health financing. It encompasses all aspects of the health system, such as health service delivery systems, workforce, facilities, technologies, information systems, quality assurance mechanisms, and governance and legislation.
- UHC is not about ensuring a minimum package of services, but also about progressively expanding coverage and financial protection as more resources become available.
- UHC is not only about individual treatments, but also includes population-based services like public health campaigns, water fluoridation, and mosquito control.
- UHC involves more than just health; it is about equity, development priorities, social inclusion, and cohesion.
- All countries can take steps to move towards UHC or maintain existing gains.
- Countries where health services have traditionally been accessible and affordable are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the growing healthcare needs of their populations and the escalating costs of services.
Achieving UHC
- Moving towards UHC requires strengthening health systems in all countries.
- Robust financing structures are crucial to ensure access to healthcare for all.
- When people pay most healthcare costs out-of-pocket, the poor are unable to access services, and even the wealthy may face hardship in the event of severe or long-term illness.
- Pooling funds from compulsory sources (such as mandatory insurance contributions) can spread the financial risks of illness across the population.
- Improving health service coverage and outcomes depends on the availability, accessibility, and capacity of healthcare workers to deliver quality, people-centered, integrated care.
- Investments in the primary healthcare workforce are crucial for achieving equity in access to essential healthcare services.
- Good governance, sound procurement and supply systems, and well-functioning health information systems are essential elements for successful UHC implementation.
- UHC emphasizes both what services are covered and how they are funded, managed, and delivered.
- A fundamental shift in service delivery is necessary, focusing on integrating services and prioritizing the needs of individuals and communities.
- Health services should be delivered in the most appropriate setting, balancing out- and in-patient care and strengthening care coordination.
- Integrating traditional and complementary medicine services into overall care can help empower individuals to take an active role in their health and the health system.
Measuring UHC
- Monitoring progress towards UHC should focus on:
- The proportion of the population accessing essential quality health services.
- The proportion of the population spending a large amount of household income on health.
- WHO has developed a framework with the World Bank to track UHC progress by monitoring service coverage, financial protection, and equity.
- WHO uses 16 essential health services in four categories as indicators of UHC level and equity:
- Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (e.g., family planning, antenatal and delivery care, childhood immunization)
- Infectious Disease (e.g., tuberculosis treatment, HIV antiretroviral therapy, malaria prevention)
- Non-Communicable Diseases (e.g., blood pressure and glucose management, cervical cancer screening, tobacco use)
- Service Capacity and Access (e.g., basic hospital access, health worker density, access to essential medicines)
- While each country is unique and may develop its own UHC measurement methods, there is value in using standardized, internationally recognized measures to facilitate comparisons.
Basic Health Care Package (BHCP) and National Health Priorities
- Currently, ten priority areas for health services have been identified for inclusion in the BHCP:
- Child health and nutrition: reducing mortality rate among children under five.
- Integrated reproductive health: reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio.
- HIV and AIDS, TB, and STIs: halting and reducing the spread of these infections through effective interventions.
- Malaria: reducing incidence and mortality due to malaria.
- Epidemics: improving public health surveillance and control of epidemics.
- Hygiene, sanitation, and safer water: promoting and implementing interventions to improve hygiene and access to acceptable sanitation and safer water.
- Human resources: training, recruiting, and retaining adequate staff at all levels.
- Essential drugs and medical supplies: ensuring availability of essential drugs and medical supplies at all levels.
- Infrastructure and equipment: ensuring the availability of appropriate infrastructure and equipment at all levels.
- Systems strengthening: strengthening operational systems, financing mechanisms, and governance arrangements for effective health service delivery.
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Description
Explore the essential concepts of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), including its goals, principles, and the commitments made by UN Member States towards achieving it by 2030. This quiz covers the importance of equitable access to health services and the financial protections needed to prevent healthcare-related poverty.
