Reconceptualising Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for global distributive justice
The case of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23311282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Markus Fraundorfer (0000-0002-5446-9635, University of Leeds, corresponding author), Harriet Green (University of Leeds) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 2707689-2707689 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-31 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Global Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1744-1692 • E-ISSN: 1744-1706 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17441692.2026.2707689 |
| PMID | 42496686 |
| OpenAlex | W7170361220 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Since its inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, the global health target of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has largely stalled. This article contends that one of the reasons for this lacking progress refers to the fact that the current definition of UHC does not sufficiently account for the transnational realities of global health. This article seeks to develop a more conceptually robust understanding of what UHC is, and what is normatively required to achieve it. In this context, the article proposes a novel definition of UHC that is adapted to the transnational realities of global health and advances an understanding of UHC as a global distributive justice norm. This normative theorising draws on literature in global distributive justice, which has largely been neglected in research and policy-led efforts to understand UHC. In this reconceptualisation, the article accentuates three required discursive shifts: from 'good health' to 'fair health'; from 'assistance' to 'duty'; and from 'cost' to 'investment'. To illustrate the conceptual and empirical validity of this reconceptualisation of UHC, it is then empirically applied to the activities of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in its health system strengthening efforts on Chagas disease in Latin America.
Capability approach · Distributive justice · Distributive property · Economic Justice · Global health · Global justice · Inclusion (mineral) · Latin Americans · Normative · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Human Rights and Development · Public health and occupational medicine
Monitoring universal health coverage within the Sustainable Development Goals
Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health
Commodification of Healthcare and its Consequences
St-Century Capitalism
Universal health coverage from multiple perspectives
Is universal health coverage the practical expression of the right to health care
Building an innovative Chagas disease program for primary care units, in an urban non- endemic city
Increasing access to comprehensive care for Chagas disease
Universal or commodified healthcare? Linking out-of-pocket payments to income-related inequalities in unmet health needs in Europe
How universal is coverage and access to diagnosis and treatment for Chagas disease in Colombia? A health systems analysis
Sociocultural dynamics that influence Chagas disease health care in Colombia
| Highly cited | No |
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