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Bowdoin College

Publication Date

Fall 2023

Program Name

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

Abstract

Amid extensive research and reporting on the effects of COVID-19 on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) progress, this study explores an often neglected topic: the potential of UHC to contribute to the foundations of pandemic preparedness. Herein, quantitative analysis reveals that countries with higher UHC coverage tend to exhibit greater pandemic preparedness (as determined by the UHC Service Coverage Index and the Global Health Security Index). Complementary qualitative analysis is used to further illustrate and explain the correlation between UHC and pandemic preparedness using four case study countries, integrating literature reviews and relevant expert interviews. Through these methods, a clear tie between high UHC status and enhanced pandemic preparedness emerges.

Finally, the study advocates for UHC as an enhancer of global health security in the face of emerging infectious disease threats and a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness. This further suggests avenues for further research to explore additional indicators and determinants that influence UHC, pandemic preparedness, and their intersections. These insights are especially relevant at a time when international organizations such as the WHO deliberate on pandemic preparedness policies, which may benefit from the global advancement of UHC.

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Epidemiology | Health Policy | Infectious Disease | Insurance | Medicine and Health

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