Book Description

There has been much talk about Universal Health Coverage (UHC), both internationally as well as in India. Presently, there is a major emphasis on moving towards universal coverage, a goal that is laudable and must be encouraged at all cost. So it is heartening that the Planning Commission has taken the lead in commissioning a high level expert group (HLEG) to initiate the debate and discussions on UHC in India. In this context some of us felt the need to go beyond broad policy recommendations and come up with steps to operationalise UHC. The Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru undertook this task. The key guiding principles in preparation of the document were that: - Health care services should be accessible and affordable to all sections of Indian society, especially the vulnerable section of the population.- Health care services should be equitably distributed between urban and rural India, between men and women, between rich and poor, between the castes and among the States.- Health care services should be aimed at maximizing health gain.This document attempts to provide an understanding of the concept of UHC, explain in detail the critical aspects with reference to population and services to be covered, financing and the method of delivery. It is specifically targeted for the State level policy makers and implementers, so that they are able to diagnose where their state is vis-a-vis UHC, identify the necessary steps they need to take to prepare a roadmap towards achieving UHC. This document is not a blueprint, but provides some options for policy makers and those in the decision making process to consider. The document draws from the various discussions held by various stakeholders in the past and several documents and experiences of several countries in achieving UHC. The document brings together a few practical tools (including an excel sheet) necessary to understand how UHC may be planned at the state level.