We are proud to present our volume 11, issue 1 of March 2019 on People-centred Universal Health Coverage in the Asia-Pacific, edited by our usual editorial team, Calvin Ho and Karel Caals.
How can bioethics as a field contribute to Universal health coverage (UHC)? This may be a fair question to ask in the light of the remark by the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, that “… universal coverage is an ethical issue”. Perhaps a response to this question may be closely linked to the 2018 Astana Declaration, which seeks to draw the political focus back to the commitment of the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration to develop people-centred primary healthcare as a critical step to realise health for all. If this is correct, then bioethical inquiry into the goals and implications of UHC will need to be broadened beyond its health financing aspect and related concerns in equity.
Two international meetings on the theme of UHC, convened under the auspices of the Asian Bioethics Review, have been modest attempts at drawing in different bioethical questions and perspectives on UHC as a normative enterprise in the Asia-Pacific region. Different political values that have helped to shape UHC in a number of countries in the region were also discussed at the 14th World Congress of Bioethics in Bengaluru, India. Several of the papers published in this thematic issue arise from the discussions and deliberations at these events. While inadequate or a lack of financial risk protection continues to be highlighted by a number of authors as an intransigent source of inequity, other dimensions of UHC that are considered include quality of care, and responsiveness of the health system in meeting people’s expectations and preferences. In this special journal issue, we document and consider UHC-related developments in China, India, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia. More papers on UHC and related topics are expected to be published in subsequent issues of this journal.
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Editorial – Free Access
People-Centred Universal Health Coverage in the Asia-Pacific
Calvin W. L. Ho, and Karel Caals
March 2019 – 11(1): 1-3 – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00084-4
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Justice and public participation in universal health coverage: when is tiered coverage unfair and who should decide?
Bridget Pratt
March 2019 – 11(1): 5-19 – doi: 10.1007/s41649-018-0064-x
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Lessons and prospects of universal health coverage in China: the importance of equity, quality, and affordability
Zhong Li, and Li Jun
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00077-3
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Ethical Consideration of National Health Insurance Reform for Universal Health Coverage in the Republic of Korea
Yuri Lee, Siwoo Kim, So Yoon Kim, and Ganglip Kim
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00079-1
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Access to Care by Older Rural People in a Post-Reform Chinese Hospital: an Ethical Evaluation of Anthropological Findings
Xiang Zou, and Jing-Bao Nie
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00080-8
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme: an Ethical Analysis
Vijiayaprasad Gopichandran
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00083-5
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
The need for healthcare reforms: is no-fault liability the solution to medical malpractice?
Shivkrit Rai, and Vishwas H. Devaiah
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00081-7
Original Article – Free Access via PMC
Closing the Gap between Need and Uptake: a Case for Proactive Contraception Provision to Adolescents
Rebecca Duncan, Lynley Anderson, and Neil Pickering
March 2019 – 11(1): – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00082-6
Original Article – Open Access
Regulating Advance Decision-making: Potential and Challenges for Malaysia
Hui Yun Chan
March 2019 – 11(1): 111-122 – doi: 10.1007/s41649-019-00078-2
Asian Bioethics Review 
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