More than 300 organisations including NGOs, academic institutions, foundations and patient groups have reacted with alarm at a last minute proposed change to the indicator used to measure financial protection for health under the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Experts in the global health community have expressed concerns over the revised Universal Health Coverage (UHC) indicator (3.8.2), which is a significantly weaker formulation that no longer measures financial risk protection. The indicator measures percent of the population covered by some form of insurance or social protection scheme but gives no indication of the quality of that protection and whether it effectively protects from catastrophic expenditure.

If the new indicator for UHC is left unchanged it could lead to more not less exclusion of women, marginalised groups and people living in poverty from the health care they need and have a right to receive. As such, those responsible for decision making within the SDG process have an urgent responsibility to act.

For those organisations wishing to sign on to a civil society joint letter calling for action to revise this dangerous indicator, please add your organisation name and contact details via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2RZGMS7

Read full blog post by Anna Marriot and Mohga Kamal-Yanni, from Oxfam UK: "Last minute change to the UHC Indicator for the SDGs is raising alarm bells"