WHO Report Flags Lagging Progress on Universal Health Coverage Goal

WHO Report Flags Lagging Progress on Universal Health Coverage Goal

London, UK – December 7, 2025

The Lagging Progress on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Goal:

The global commitment to ensure that every person, everywhere, has access to the health care they need without financial hardship is facing a severe setback.

The Great Global Divide in healthcare access, as detailed in a major new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, reveals that while overall health service coverage has increased, the pace of progress is dangerously slow, jeopardizing the 2030 target for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

This is not merely a health crisis; it is an economic and social emergency, with millions being pushed into poverty annually simply because they needed medical care.

The findings demand urgent policy pivots from governments worldwide to address this widening inequity.

Global Coverage Rises, But Financial Hardship Persists

The UHC Global Monitoring Report 2025 indicates that between 2000 and 2023, the global Service Coverage Index (SCI) rose from 54 to 71 points, confirming that more people now have access to essential health services than ever before.

This progress has been largely driven by advances in managing infectious diseases and, more recently, improving coverage for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

However, the report sounds a dire warning regarding the second key pillar of UHC: financial protection.

Despite some decline in the share of people facing financial hardship due to large, out-of-pocket (OOP) health payments, the absolute numbers remain staggering.

An estimated 2.1 billion people worldwide continue to experience financial hardship to access care, and critically, 1.6 billion people are being either pushed into or deeper into poverty because of health expenses.

This disproportionately affects the poorest populations, who already bear the heaviest burden of unaffordable health costs.

Slowdown and Regional Disparities

A key finding of the 2025 report is the significant slowdown in the rate of progress since 2015. While low-income countries have achieved the fastest relative gains in both service coverage and reducing financial hardship, they still face the largest overall gaps.

Conversely, several middle-income countries—many of which have large and rapidly growing populations—have seen their progress stall or even reverse in recent years due to insufficient public spending on health and the failure to create robust social protection mechanisms.

In specific regional breakdowns, only half of the WHO regions (Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific) succeeded in both improving service coverage and reducing financial hardship.

This geographical disparity underscores the fact that global success is not monolithic and that solutions must be tailored to address unique regional challenges, whether they are related to catastrophic climate events, internal conflict, or deep-seated economic volatility.

The Policy Prescription: Addressing Fragility and Investment

According to the WHO and World Bank, the failure to accelerate UHC progress is rooted in two main areas: underinvestment and lack of resilience.

Firstly, public spending on health in many countries remains insufficient, often relying too heavily on external aid or, worse, on individual patient contributions at the point of care.

Experts argue that governments must commit to increasing their domestic financing for health, prioritizing primary health care systems that are the foundation of true universal access.

Secondly, the report notes that Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations (FCS) economies, which are home to over a billion people, face the most acute challenges.

Escalating conflict and weak institutional capacity have magnified recent global shocks, leading to significant drops in health service delivery.

The report emphasizes that UHC is impossible without addressing these core issues of stability and governance.

Tailored policy reforms focused on job creation and inclusive growth are seen as crucial support for durable peace, which in turn allows health systems to function and expand.

In conclusion, the goal of UHC by 2030 remains achievable, but only if the global community treats this report as a final wake-up call.

Moving forward requires a fundamental shift from episodic disease campaigns to a sustained, comprehensive investment in equitable primary care, ensuring that a person’s health status is not determined by their financial means.

Headline Points: Global Health Crisis

2030 Goal at Risk:

Global progress on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has slowed significantly since 2015.

Financial Hardship:

2.1 billion people globally still face financial distress to access healthcare; 1.6 billion are being pushed into poverty.

Widening Inequality:

The poorest populations are disproportionately affected by high out-of-pocket health costs.

Call for Investment:

WHO and World Bank urge governments to increase domestic public spending and focus on primary health care.

 #Vulnerability Exposed:

Conflict and instability in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations (FCS) are major barriers to UHC expansion.