The “Handbook for conducting assessments of barriers to effective coverage with health services,” authored by the World Health Organization (WHO), serves as a comprehensive guide to identifying and addressing the obstacles that prevent equitable access to essential health services. Aligned with WHO’s commitment to equity as outlined in its Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) for 2025-2028, this handbook is designed to support equity-oriented reforms towards universal health coverage.
The handbook employs a mixed-methods research approach, grounded in the Tanahashi framework, to explore barriers faced by both users and non-users of health services. Comprising eight modules, it provides practical tools for capturing evidence on the interaction between populations and health services, with the ultimate goal of informing policy and programming to ensure that no one is left behind. This document is intended primarily for technical staff within national and subnational health authorities responsible for planning, managing, monitoring, and evaluating health services. It is also a valuable resource for research institutions, multilateral organisations, nongovernmental and civil society organisations, and patients’ associations. The handbook is part of a broader suite of WHO tools aimed at promoting equity, rights-based, and gender-responsive health sector planning and programming, complementing existing WHO and partner guidelines across various areas of public health.