Universal health coverage
Expanding the access to health
Universal health coverage (UHC) is more than a policy—it is a promise. A promise that everyone, everywhere, can access the care they need without financial hardship. But to make this promise real, we must broaden our vision of what health systems should deliver—and how.
Alongside health financing and equity, I focus here on neglected and emerging health challenges and the transformative role of digital health in addressing them.
Health financing & equity
At the heart of UHC lies the question of how we pay for care—and how we ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable are protected. I explore strategies for sustainable public financing, reducing out-of-pocket costs, designing results-based models and prioritising equity in every layer of the system.
Neglected health challenges
India’s health burden today is shaped by issues that too often receive inadequate attention:
- Lead poisoning
A hidden public health emergency affecting millions of children - Mental health
Where stigma and weak systems leave vast needs unmet - Oral health
Long treated as peripheral, yet deeply linked to broader health outcomes - Non-communicable diseases
Now responsible for most premature deaths, but poorly integrated into primary care systems
These are not marginal issues—they are central to human development, productivity and justice. Yet they remain underfunded and under-prioritized.
Digital health: A force multiplier
Digital health has the potential to bridge many of the gaps in access, quality and accountability. India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has shown how a public digital infrastructure can empower patients, streamline service delivery and enable real-time data for better policy.
From electronic health records to telemedicine, decision-support tools to health financing platforms, digital health—done right—can make care more inclusive, efficient and outcome-driven. But technology must serve people, not the other way around. Equity, privacy and usability must remain at the heart of the digital transformation.