Video: how do we finance universal health coverage?

Universal health coverage is a global priority, but how can it be funded efficiently and effectively?

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in low- and middle-income countries has become an overwhelming global priority. UHC is the ambition to be able to provide good quality and affordable healthcare services to everyone. While there are many ways to achieve UHC, they all need sufficient financing.

David Evans (World Bank Group), Ashadul Islam (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh), and two members of Oxford Policy Management (OPM)’s health team, Tomas Lievens and Mike Naylor, explore different options to finance UHC, looking at case studies in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

A social health protection initiative in Bangladesh is helping to promote the adoption of pro-poor health financing mechanisms in the country, supporting more equitable and accessible health service delivery throughout Bangladesh. “The Government intends to protect the poor people from further impoverishment and improve the access of the poor people into the healthcare,” said Ashadul Islam about the programme.

In Pakistan, the social health protection scheme ensures the poorest of the population do not need to pay the insurance premiums, which are covered by the Government.