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A health system is defined as all organizations, people, and their inter-relationships that have the purpose of delivering health, which includes the care provided by those to health services as well as taking care of the health of the family members, but also are linked to financing and training (Azam et al., 2025).

The health sector, on the other hand, embraces all groups, institutions, and resources pertinent to producing health actions whose principal purpose is to improve health, not being more specified on the literature consulted.

Universal health coverage (UHC) is a health system in which everyone receives the needed services without facing financial difficulties, and it is considered a fundamental human right (Azam et al., 2025). Thus, to implement the UHC system, an economic analysis should be carried out considering the costs of the implementation, existing infrastructure, political will, and the availability of health professionals. In comparison to the current system (global health) in which there are inequalities and financial difficulties to access the health system and inequities between developed and developing countries, the UHC offers better access to medicine and health due to the non-existence of the direct payment for accessing the health services, reduction of health inequities, and better health outcomes. Furthermore, some countries such as Sweden, Canada, and Japan have already implemented the UHC system and had better results concerning the reduction of health inequities, access to health and essential services, and better health outcomes of the population (Azam et al., 2025). However, the political aspect has played an important role concerning the implementation of the UHC system because the governance, leadership, and political will are the key factors for the success of the UHC despite facing challenges concerning the lack of resources (Ho et al., 2022).

The reason for the global shortage of health workers is justified by the unavailability of health professionals to serve, which is one of the obstacles for the feasibility of the UHC system, lack of training, lack of infrastructure, and migration (Azam et al., 2025). It is expected that the world will face a shortage of 11 million of health workers by 2030, due to the increased demand for health workers because of the aging of the population, unequal distribution, and slow increase of the number of health workers, affecting the equitable provision of health services across the world (Ho et al., 2022).

References

Azam, M., Soomro, I., Siddiqui, S., , Z., Shahzad, M., & Khalid, A. (2025). Universal Healthcare: Evaluating the Feasibility and Impact of Implementing Universal Health Coverage Worldwide. Indus Journal of Bioscience Research. https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.582.

Ho, C. J., Khalid, H., Skead, K., & Wong, J. (2022). The politics of universal health coverage. Lancet (London, England), 399(10340), 2066–2074. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00585-2

 

Health Systems, Health Sectors, Universal Health Coverage, and the Global Health Workforce Shortage

A health system is defined as all organizations, individuals, and their interrelationships that work together to deliver health, including both the provision of services and the management of population health. This system also incorporates aspects of financing, workforce training, and governance to ensure effective service delivery (Azam et al., 2025). In contrast, the health sector encompasses all groups, institutions, and resources involved in producing health actions with the primary aim of improving population health, though definitions in the literature are less specific regarding its scope.

Universal health coverage (UHC) ensures that all individuals receive the health services they need without financial hardship, positioning healthcare as a fundamental human right (Azam et al., 2025). Implementing UHC requires comprehensive economic analysis, including consideration of infrastructure, political will, and workforce availability. Compared to the current global system, which is characterized by inequities in access and disparities between developed and developing countries, UHC provides better access to medicines and essential services by eliminating out-of-pocket payments, reducing health inequities, and improving population health outcomes. Countries such as Sweden, Canada, and Japan have demonstrated that UHC can significantly reduce disparities in health access and improve overall health metrics (Azam et al., 2025). However, political factors, including governance, leadership, and policy commitment, remain critical to UHC success, particularly in resource-limited settings (Ho et al., 2022).

The global shortage of healthcare workers presents a significant barrier to UHC implementation. Factors contributing to this shortage include inadequate training programs, migration of skilled professionals, insufficient infrastructure, and uneven workforce distribution (Azam et al., 2025). It is projected that by 2030, the world will face a shortage of 11 million healthcare workers, driven by increasing demand from population aging, slow workforce growth, and inequitable distribution of staff (Ho et al., 2022). This shortage limits equitable access to healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved regions, highlighting the urgent need for workforce planning and investment in education and retention strategies.

In conclusion, strengthening health systems and expanding health sector capacity through UHC can significantly improve access to healthcare and medicines. Addressing the global health workforce shortage is critical to achieving these goals. For DNP-prepared nurses, understanding these systemic and policy-level dynamics is essential for leadership, population health management, and advocacy to improve equitable access to care worldwide.

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References

Azam, M., Soomro, I., Siddiqui, S., Z., Shahzad, M., & Khalid, A. (2025). Universal healthcare: Evaluating the feasibility and impact of implementing universal health coverage worldwide. Indus Journal of Bioscience Research. https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.582

Ho, C. J., Khalid, H., Skead, K., & Wong, J. (2022). The politics of universal health coverage. Lancet (London, England), 399(10340), 2066–2074. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00585-2

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