WHO Warns Unaffordable Health Costs Impeding Global Progress on Sustainable Development Goals
London-UK, December 12, 2025
Universal Health Coverage Day: The High Price of Remaining Uninsured
Today, December 12, is officially designated as Universal Health Coverage Day, a global rallying point for nations to re-commit to making affordable health care a reality for all citizens.
In conjunction with the observance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank released their annual Global Monitoring Report, which delivered a stark warning:
WHO Warns Unaffordable Health Costs are the single most significant barrier Impeding Global Progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
The report highlights the urgent crisis of financial hardship caused by health expenses, which affects billions of people worldwide.
Despite years of high-level political commitments, the report confirms a deeply worrying reality:
an estimated 4.6 billion people worldwide still lack access to essential health services.
Furthermore, a staggering 2.1 billion people experience financial hardship when accessing health care, with 1.6 billion people either living in poverty or pushed deeper into it specifically due to overwhelming medical bills.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated that UHC is the “ultimate expression of the right to health,” but for billions, that right “remains out of reach.”
The report serves as a powerful reminder that the window to achieve the UHC target under the SDGs is rapidly closing, and without accelerated, smarter investment in health systems, the hard-won gains are at risk of being lost.
Headlines Points
UHC Day Focus:
December 12 marks Universal Health Coverage Day, focusing global attention on the goal of affordable health care for all by 2030.
2.1 Billion Facing Hardship:
The WHO/World Bank report confirms that 2.1 billion people face financial hardship due to Unaffordable Health Costs, with 1.6 billion pushed into or deeper into poverty.
SDG Target Miss:
The WHO Warns that the current pace of progress is Impeding Global Progress on Sustainable Development Goals, specifically the 2030 UHC target.
Service Gap:
An estimated 4.6 billion people worldwide still lack access to essential health services, underscoring the massive coverage gap.
Investment Call:
The report urges world leaders to make “smarter investments” in health and to prioritize strengthening primary health care systems, particularly in vulnerable nations.
The Poverty Trap of Medical Bills
The core message of the report is that health is not merely a social issue but a critical economic one.
When citizens face crippling financial burdens—often referred to as catastrophic health expenditure—they are forced to deplete their savings, sell assets, or go into debt, thereby reversing years of economic progress.
This creates a poverty trap:Â
poor health makes people poor, and poverty makes people sick, and the lack of affordable access to care locks them into this cycle.
This phenomenon directly undermines multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to poverty eradication (SDG 1) and economic growth (SDG 8).
The report advocates for a major shift in public financing strategies. It calls on governments to move away from user fees at the point of care and instead increase public spending on health, ensuring that essential services are subsidized or free.
Furthermore, the report emphasizes the need to invest specifically in primary health care (PHC)—the first line of defense, including vaccinations, basic maternity care, and essential medicines—as the most cost-effective way to achieve UHC.
Countries that have focused on strengthening PHC, such as Ukraine even amid conflict, have shown remarkable resilience in maintaining their health services.
The Closing Window to 2030
Despite the grim global statistics, the report also acknowledges progress:
the Service Coverage Index (SCI) rose from 54 to 71 points between 2000 and 2023, showing that most countries are making gains.
However, the crucial deadline of 2030 is rapidly approaching, and the rate of progress is simply too slow to meet the UHC goal.
The Unaffordable Health Costs are proof that while some services are technically available, they are not accessible due to financial barriers.
The message on Universal Health Coverage Day is clear:Â
achieving UHC requires political will and concrete policy changes that protect people from financial risk. It requires governments to view health spending not as a cost, but as a long-term investment that drives economic growth, productivity, and social stability.
Failure to prioritize this investment in the remaining years before the 2030 deadline will condemn billions to unnecessary suffering and financial ruin, ensuring the world misses one of its most fundamental global development commitments.
