“Health is a human right, and the barriers to it are political. Closing the gender health gap is key to advancing UHC: we cannot wait any longer for transformative approaches that strengthen health systems.”
Flore Ganon, Advocacy Manager at Action Against Hunger, France
On the occasion of UHC Day 2025, under the theme “Unaffordable Health Costs? We’re Sick of It!”, Flore Ganon, Advocacy Manager at Action Against Hunger, France and member of the CSEM Advisory Group – reflects on why financial protection is central to her work and outlines what leaders must do now to accelerate progress.
From your perspective, why is financial protection essential for advancing UHC in your context or area of work?
Financial protection is fundamental to achieving universal health coverage. It helps correct the economic discrimination and injustices that disproportionately affect the poorest people—who are, most often, women. Without financial protection, these communities continue to face structural barriers to health, perpetuating cycles of inequality.
How does the lack of financial protection affect people’s access to health in your area of work?
The consequences of excessive healthcare costs go far beyond the moment when services become unaffordable. They also relate to whether treatments are physically and reliably accessible within health systems – for example, when Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) supplies are disrupted.
Financial protection is also tied to the basket of care. When the services covered are too limited, quality care becomes impossible. For instance, excluding physiotherapy sessions from coverage after a broken leg undermines a person’s full recovery.
To ensure that care packages are relevant and equitable, communities, patients, and citizens must be actively involved in defining which essential health services should be covered. Their participation helps align public health policies with real needs.
What are the most urgent actions world leaders / national leaders must take to protect people from catastrophic and impoverishing health costs?
Meaningful progress on UHC requires decisive political action and strengthened governance. Here are my four priorities that leaders must address urgently:
- Support multilateralism and provide adequate financing for global health policies and frameworks.
- Develop and implement policies that deliver reliable and equitable financial protection, ensuring continuous access to essential health services for all.
- Strengthen institutional mechanisms that guarantee social participation of communities and users in health governance at every level of the health system.
- Promote health and nutrition as human rights and establish clear, robust accountability frameworks to track progress and ensure commitments are upheld.
Without strong financial protection, progress toward UHC will remain out of reach for the communities most in need. Our call to action reminds leaders that protecting people from catastrophic health costs is not only a policy choice – it is a matter of equity, rights, and dignity.
