Measuring progress toward Universal Health Coverage in Iran: two years after the implementation of the Health Transformation Plan

One of the most important 2015-post agendas of countries’ health systems is achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), so the countries should monitor the taken activities. Ths study aimed to investigate the Universal UHC status two years after Health Transformation Plan in Iran.

Household Income and Expenditure Survey were used to estimate financial protection indicators in 2016. Estimation for service coverage index provided by international databases was applied at the country level. Indicators of financial protection and service coverage were evaluated in relation to each other using the World Health Organization joint levels assessment method, which indicates UHC attainment in terms of a plot with four zones. The relationship was estimated for the entire population, first quintile, and fifth quintile in 2000, 2017, and 2030.

About 15.85% of households endured catastrophic health expenditures at the 10% threshold. Accordingly, Iran is on the border between zones 1 and 2 in 2017 in terms of achieving UHC and will move to zone 1 in 2030 with the current trend.

Iran did not attain UHC in 2000. It seems and has not achieved UHC in 2017 either. Even with improved service coverage, achieving UHC by 2030 may seem impossible with the current trends.