“The global Universal Health Coverage (UHC) service coverage index rose from 54 index points in 2000 to 71 in 2023.
- The share of the global population incurring financial hardship due to OOP (out-of-pocket payments) health spending fell from 34% in 2000 to 26% in 2022.
- The service coverage index has increased in virtually all countries (97%) since 2000.
- The share of the population incurring financial hardship due to OOP health spending has declined in more than half of countries (54%).
Importantly, global inequalities in UHC outcomes have been reduced as countries, regions and country income groups with worse baseline values have achieved larger gains…
How is progress towards UHC measured?
Achieving progress requires addressing both service coverage and financial hardship in health, which are tracked by:
1. The service coverage index (SCI)
A composite index on a scale of 0 to 100 represents coverage of essential health services. It is composed of 14 tracer indicators in four broad health areas:
- Reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH)
- Infectious diseases
- Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
- Service capacity and access
2. The financial hardship indicator
This indicator measures the proportion of the population experiencing financial hardship due to out-of-pocket (OOP) payments. Financial hardship can be experienced by:
- People who see their ability to meet basic needs reduced by out-of-pocket payments (impoverishing OOP). This includes both those who are pushed into poverty due to such payments as well as those who are further impoverished by them.
- People who are better off economically (non-poor) that face disproportionately large OOP spending.”
From World Bank.
