This resource package aims to help countries accelerate progress toward universal health coverage and social protection—key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. It provides policymakers, social partners, technical experts, and development partners with practical standards, tools, and policy guidance to build social health protection schemes aligned with national needs and Universal Social Protection systems.

Designed both as a resource hub and a learning tool, the toolkit offers content tailored to different country needs and institutional capacities, making it relevant for countries expanding basic coverage or addressing gaps in adequacy, inclusiveness, and sustainability. 

The Toolkit provides practical guidance across key areas of social health protection, from financial aspects to climate resilience. It includes international standards, videos, case studies, country-specific pages, recent ILO publications, and training opportunities, all aimed at supporting effective implementation of social health protection schemes. 

The release of this resource comes at a crucial time as UN member states discuss ways to better prevent, prepare and respond to pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities worldwide and underscored the need for robust, rights-based universal social protection systems well-coordinated with strong health systems. 

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According to data from the ILO World Social Protection Report 2024-26, more than two billion people still lack protection against the costs of health services. The report also underlines the critical role of health and care workers in delivering social health protection for all. It highlights the importance of ensuring their access to fundamental rights at work, social protection, decent working conditions, and meaningful participation in decision-making processes. 

The toolkit is grounded in ILO’s standards, such as Convention No. 102 and Recommendation No. 202, which set out minimum guarantees for medical care and income security during sickness and maternity. The ratification and effective implementation of up-to-date social security standards can help countries build and reform rights-based systems that provide comprehensive and adequate benefits throughout the life cycle, ultimately achieving universal coverage. By aligning technical guidance with these frameworks, the toolkit recognizes that access to healthcare is not only a development goal, but a fundamental human right.

Available in English, French, and Spanish, the platform will continue to evolve with new resources, data, and training opportunities. It complements other ILO initiatives, including those under the Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All, such as capacity-building programs and advisory services, aimed at supporting member states in building inclusive social protection systems.

With this initiative, the ILO reaffirms its commitment to supporting countries develop health systems that are efficient, inclusive and resilient, including by improving coordination with social protection policies to address future challenges.

Explore the toolkit: https://bit.ly/4l6lclE