Covid-19 has highlighted the fundamental importance of ensuring access to health care and income security for all, especially for vulnerable groups. Although many national social protection systems have been strengthened and access to health improved, the pandemic has uncovered significant gaps and inequities in coverage that will need to be urgently addressed. This timely course focuses on health coverage within the context of national social protection systems, including floors. The course will provide an overview of the objectives of social health protection and its contribution to reaching universal health coverage (UHC) and universal social protection (USP) in the context of the 2030 Agenda. It will examine the state of coverage and macro-trends at global and country levels, before exploring the guiding principles provided by ILO standards for the design and operationalization of social health protection schemes. The course will focus on the extension of the various dimensions of coverage and will provide insights on the technical options for coverage expansion.
The course is designed for executives, managers, planners, financial officers and other professionals responsible for healthcare and social health insurance schemes, in both governmental and non-governmental sectors. Representatives of employers' and workers' organizations are particularly welcome. The course primarily addresses the needs of practitioners and policymakers; however, individuals working in research roles within health financing systems will also benefit from participating in this training activity. The following requirements are therefore essential to participate in this course: - Ability to use and access a computer with internet - Working knowledge of written English or French.