Which example best illustrates service coverage in Universal Health Coverage indicators?

• A. Vaccination access and maternal care services.
• B. Catastrophic health expenditures.
• C. Nonessential cosmetic procedures.
• D. Hospital bed occupancy rates.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is service coverage within Universal Health Coverage indicators. Service coverage looks at whether people who need essential health services can actually obtain and use them, not just whether the services exist.

Vaccination access and maternal care services illustrate this because they are essential health services whose reach can be measured by the proportion of people who receive them. Tracking how many individuals get vaccinated or receive key maternal care—such as antenatal care or skilled birth attendance—shows whether essential services are truly accessible and used by the population in need. This directly reflects the breadth of service coverage.

In contrast, catastrophic health expenditures measure financial risk protection—whether people incur extreme costs when seeking care. Nonessential cosmetic procedures are not part of the core essential services package used to gauge coverage. Hospital bed occupancy rates reflect health system capacity and utilization, not whether people who need services can access and receive them.