Building from the HIV Response toward Universal Health Coverage.

Jonathan Jay,Kent Buse,Peter Piot,Timothy Evans,Jonathan D Quick,Agnes Binagwaho,Marielle Hart,Morolake Odetoyinbo,Robert Marten,Mark Dybul,Scott Kellerman,David Wilson

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002083

Abstract

Jonathan Jay and colleagues draw lessons from the the global HIV response that could help guide the universal health coverage movement.

Highlights

Universal health coverage (UHC) has gained prominence as a global health objective
As the UHC movement confronts major deficits in access, such as 400 million people lacking basic health services [3], we propose looking to the HIV response for lessons
We focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) because the HIV response has been concentrated there and because UHC strategies may be most catalytic in these settings [12]

Summary

Summary Points

Universal health coverage (UHC) has gained prominence as a global health priority. The UHC movement aims to increase access to quality, needed health services while reducing financial hardship from health spending, in low- and middleincome countries. As a policy agenda, UHC has been identified primarily with prepayment and risk-pooling programs. While financing policies provide important benefits, increasing access to health services will require broader reforms. The UHC movement should look to the global HIV response, which has confronted many of the same barriers to access in weak health systems. Considerable success on HIV has resulted from innovative approaches that UHC efforts can build upon, in areas including governance, financing, service delivery, political mobilization, accountability, and human rights.

Introduction

Findings

Conclusions