Closing the Gap: Achieving Universal Health Coverage for All

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank have released the 2023 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Global Monitoring Report, revealing that over half of the world's population still lacks essential health services, and 2 billion people face severe financial hardship when paying for healthcare. Progress towards UHC has stagnated since 2015, with little improvement in service coverage for noncommunicable diseases and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services. Catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending continues to rise, pushing millions into poverty. To achieve UHC by 2030, substantial investment and action by governments and development partners are needed, including a shift towards primary healthcare, advancing equity in access and financial protection, and investing in health information systems.