Unpacking universal health coverage in India: Implications for health

Since the World Health Report 2010, universal health coverage has received increased policy attention worldwide. Though the goal of achieving universal health coverage has been widely acclaimed and is reinforced in several national and international forums, the contours of the debates have been disparate. Endorsing this global call, India like many other low and middle income countries embark on the path to achieve universal health coverage by proposing several health sector reforms. Though universal health coverage has received significant political attention in the country, there is a danger of limiting the debates to issues relating to financing and provisioning of medical services. We argue that the current debates about universal health coverage should draw critical attention to (re) prioritization of primary health care, good governance and health equity keeping health and its determinants in mind rather than medical care alone. Key words: universal health coverage, primary health care, governance, equity, India