Universal health is a cornerstone of sustainable development, ensuring that all individuals can access timely, high-quality health services without financial hardship or discrimination. This report, Progress in universal health in the Americas: addressing unmet healthcare needs, gaps in coverage, and lack of financial protection through primary health care, presents a comprehensive analysis of the Region’s progress toward universal health. By leveraging the latest data, the report examines unmet healthcare needs, the coverage of essential health services, and financial protection as key indicators to assess regional health systems’ performance.
Sections to look out for are:
Chapter 1: Understanding unmet healthcare needs highlights critical barriers preventing individuals from accessing necessary health services. These include availability, geographic accessibility, financial constraints, organisational inefficiencies, and acceptability issues, reflecting inequities within and across populations. The chapter underscores the urgency of addressing these barriers to ensure equitable health outcomes.
Chapter 3: Financial Protection (SDG 3.8.2) focuses on the burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditures, which can represent an economic barrier to accessing health services. Noted as inefficient and inequitable, OOP may lead to catastrophic spending or impoverishment, especially among vulnerable populations. A range of country examples highlight elements which come into play with regard to lack of financial protection.
Chapter 4 explores the interplay between unmet healthcare needs, essential health service coverage, and financial protection. This integrated perspective reveals how these dimensions collectively shape health equity and inform strategies to enhance universal health outcomes.
Annex 1 provides the methodological framework for calculating unmet healthcare needs, offering robust tools for policymakers to evaluate and refine health interventions.
Together, these insights emphasise the critical role of strengthening primary health care) and adopting an approach to address diverse health needs, paving the way for inclusive, resilient health systems across the Americas.
The Report is available in English and Spanish.
