Universal health coverage means that everyone has access to essential, affordable health services to reduce financial hardship. UHC is a long-term goal; when a country is at the beginning of the road to UHC, like Myanmar, its first step is to ensure a small package of quality services available and accessible for everyone - for example, ante-natal care and vaccination. This is known as the essential package of health services (EPHS). Over time, the package typically increases to a more comprehensive set of services.
The first step is to choose which healthcare services will be in the package. This is currently being addressed through a series of workshops. It is also critical to communicate effectively to the population what is contained in the package, what it will cost and how the services can be accessed. Measures need to be taken to ensure that critical elements such as health facilities, human resources, and medicines, are in place. This is called “supply side readiness.”
What are the criteria for inclusion?
During the development of the EPHS, consideration is given to the country’s burden of disease, capacity to pay for the package, cost-effectiveness of the services and supply-side readiness to deliver the services. This is a step-by-step process that includes consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.
What has happened so far?
The Ministry of Health and Sports is committed to achieving UHC by 2030. Starting in February 2015, there have been a series of meetings, milestones and workshops towards the development of an EPHS. The Ministry, along with stakeholders, have reviewed the burden of disease for Myanmar, discussed priority services and inputs necessary to deliver services, and conducted preliminary costing.
What is the way forward?
Critical next steps for UHC are to finalize the EPHS, invest in the supply-side to ensure health facilities are equipped to deliver the services, and mobilize communities so that they understand what they can receive and how to access it. These, and other areas of investment, are outlined in the National Health Plan 2017 – 2021 ( Myanmar | English).