Collecting data in emergency settings Thidar Pyone et al. (648–658) review the tools available for rapid assessments of maternal and child health. Universal health coverage Joseph Wong (663–664) discusses strategies for achieving universal health coverage. Understanding complex problems David Bishai et al. (661–662) explain why communities affected by a public health problem should describe and...

The recent UN General Assembly resolution calling for universal health coverage (UHC) was testimony to the continuing high-level political commitment to achievement of global health goals—an achievement that has the potential to transform health systems, especially for the poorest people. Fulfi lment of this potential, however, requires a clear defi nition of the term UHC otherwise it could suf...

The WHO launched a Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2015. World leaders in the G7, G20 and the UN General Assembly have declared AMR to be a global crisis. World leaders have also adopted universal health coverage (UHC) as a key target under the sustainable development goals. This paper argues that neither initiative is likely to succeed in isolation from the other and th...

www.thelancet.com Vol 385 April 4, 2015 e31 To achieve universal health coverage, a defi nition of what coverage everybody is guaranteed is needed. In view of the gap between what is medically possible and what is fi nancially feasible, some type of rationing is inevitable in all societies. So the decision is not about whether to prioritise, but how best to achieve this. However, this issue is ...

www.thelancet.com Vol 386 July 18, 2015 227 On Dec 12, 2012, a UN General Assembly Resolution was passed unanimously which called on all countries to move their health systems towards universal health coverage (UHC). Interestingly, this resolution was cosponsored by the USA—a country not known for having achieved this goal. With UHC now a common objective for all health systems, the debate is s...

A major challenge in monitoring universal health coverage (UHC) is identifying an indicator that can adequately capture the multiple components underlying the UHC initiative. Effective coverage, which unites individual and intervention characteristics into a single metric, offers a direct and flexible means to measure health system performance at different levels. We view effective coverage as ...

Investments in the extension of health insurance coverage, the strengthening of public health services, as well as primary care and better hospitals, highlights the emerging role of healthcare as part of China’s new growth regime, based on an expansion of services, and redistributive policies. Such investments, apart from their central role in terms of relief for low-income people, serve to reb...