UN Policy paper on Universal Health Coverage

Health is a fundamental human right. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means that all individuals and communities receive the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of modern health systems with ability to respond effectively to health crises and pandemics. People-centered quality health services that ensure financial protection facilitate early case detection, identification of contacts and treatment. Ukraine is in the middle of transformative health financing reforms towards this end.

• The overall reform design is in line with international global evidence on UHC and well aligned with Ukraine’s development objectives.
• First-phase implementation focusing on financing and health information system at primary care has successfully moved forward, anchored by visible and strong political commitment and good inter-agency relationships based on shared sets of priorities. 
• Second-phase reform implementation focusing on modernization of hospital care at secondary and tertiary level and strengthening quality of care at primary care level is more complex and takes place within tight fiscal constraints and epidemic. 
• Stakeholders at all levels require capacity building, must further strengthen and institutionalize mechanisms for dialogue, collaboration and policy coherence, and align national health priorities and decentralized roles. 
• Successful reform implementation requires continued Government leadership and support, and stable, strategic direction built on evidence-based, system-generated, disaggregated data and vision-setting documents.
• The COVID-19 Pandemic has laid bare the critical importance of a modern hospital network and the need to restructure Ukraine’s hospitals. 
• Despite the pandemic’s severe negative economic and fiscal impact, the Government must prioritize the health sector and ensure a stable and predictable mid-term budget envelope.