Organizing health care services to ensure universal health coverage

Overview

Ensuring good quality health services for all at every stage of life is at the heart of universal health coverage (UHC). While focusing on increased financial, human and material resources is a legitimate pathway towards UHC, it is insufficient. We cannot simply buy our way towards UHC: we must also consider which services are prioritized and how they are organized and delivered to positively affect health outcomes, trust and cost. More attention to the core components of service delivery is therefore required. These components include service design, prioritization, planning and management and delivery support mechanisms. They drive decisions on how to strengthen structural elements (governance, financing, workforce, physical environment, information systems and other health technologies).