title: Integrating social determinants of health in the universal health coverage monitoring framework.
abstract: Underpinning the global commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) is the fundamental role of health for well-being and sustainable development. UHC is proposed as an umbrella health goal in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda because it implies universal and equitable effective delivery of comprehensive health services by a strong health system, aligned with multiple sectors around the shared goal of better health. In this paper, we argue that social determinants of health (SDH) are central to both the equitable pursuit of healthy lives and the provision of health services for all and, therefore, should be expressly incorporated into the framework for monitoring UHC. This can be done by: (a) disaggregating UHC indicators by different measures of socioeconomic position to reflect the social gradient and the complexity of social stratification; and (b) connecting health indicators, both outcomes and coverage, with SDH and policies within and outside of the health sector. Not locating UHC in the context of action on SDH increases the risk of going down a narrow route that limits the right to health to coverage of services and financial protection.
authors.affiliation: Rockefeller Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, pfrenz@med.uchile.cl.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frenz
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D014943:Global Health; D006040:Goals; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011640:Public Policy; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018511:Systems Integration; D014480:United Nations; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014944:World Health Organization