Universal Health Coverage and Social Health Protection

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Social Health Protection (SHP) are key policy foci that cut across all dimensions of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Understanding of these two concepts, their fundamentals and relations would improve health policy development and implementation to attain UHC and effectively protect the health of people and save lives and livelihoods. The COVID‐19 pandemic has provided useful lessons to improve multi‐sector activities to strengthen and finance health and social protection systems. The aim of this article is to provide conceptual clarity on the contribution of the global frameworks on SHP to the policy goal of UHC. In doing so, the article contributes to health financing and social security related policy discussions and advocates for much needed integrated policy actions at global as well as country levels. It discusses the origins of the two concepts and the relevance of SHP to health systems financing for UHC. Although country situations differ, the main findings, especially for low‐ and middle‐income countries, are highlighted and summarized

Agriculture · Business · CLARITY · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Health care · Health sector · Health services · Livelihood · Political science · Public economics · Relevance (law · Social determinants of health · Social policy · Social protection · Social security · Sustainable development · Global Health Care Issues · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Health Policy

• From past to present

  Open Access•Evaline Langat, Evaline Chepchirchir Langat et al.•Frontiers in Public Health•2025

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• Factors influencing the adoption of Universal Health Coverage in Africa

  Open Access•Evaline Langat, Hailay Abrha Gesesew et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2025

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• Have Social Policy Responses to Covid-19 Been Institutionalised

  Open Access•Gibran Cruz-Martínez, Sony Pellissery et al.•Social Policy and Society•2023

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• Assessing Social Sustainability Efficiency in European Countries

  Open Access•Hsiu‐Fang Chien, Liang Chun Lu et al.•Sustainable Development•2024

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• The role of mutuals and community‐based insurance in social health protection systems

  Open Access•Mariétou Niang, Émilie Gélinas et al.•International Social Security…•2023

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• The extension of social health protection to refugees

  Open Access•Aviva Ron, Dorit Nitzan•International Social Security…•2023

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• Long‐term care in the context of population ageing

  Open Access•Lou Tessier, Nathalie de Wulf et al.•International Social Security…•2022

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• Socioeconomic and political determinants of five common cancers in the Mena region

  Open Access•Ali Reza Hadi Poor, Parisa Mehdizadeh et al.•Acta Psychologica•2025

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• Financial burden for tuberculosis patients in low- and middle-income countries

  Tadayuki Tanimura, Ernesto Jaramillo et al.•European Respiratory Journal•2014

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• Catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment in Mongolia

  Open Access•Javkhlanbayar Dorjdagva, Enkhjargal Batbaatar et al.•International Journal for Equity…•2016

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• The impact of reducing and eliminating user fees on facility-based delivery

  Open Access•Hoa Nguyen, Hoa Thi Nguyen et al.•Health Policy and Planning•2018

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