Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is about ensuring that all people can access the health services they need – without facing financial hardship – is key to improving the well-being of a country’s population. UHC is also an investment in human capital and a foundational driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development. UHC is a target associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (target 3.8), and it relates directly to Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and to Goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere).
Proportion of population pushed below the 50% median consumption poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure (%)
Proportion of population pushed below the 50% median consumption poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure, expressed as a percentage of a total population of a country
Out-of-pocket payments are those made by people at the time of getting any type of service (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, palliative or long-term care) provided by any type of provider. They include cost-sharing (the part not covered by a third party like an insurer) and informal payments, but they exclude insurance premiums. Out-of-pocket payments exclude any reimbursement by a third party, such as the government, a health insurance fund or a private insurance company. Out-of-pocket payments are impoverishing at the relative PL for a household when consumption gross of out-of-pocket payments is higher than the relative PL, but consumption net of out-of-pocket payments is lower than the relative PL. The relative poverty line used is define as 50% of the median consumption/income.
Impoverishment at the Relative Poverty Line (%)