Access to quality care

The next theme is access to quality health care across the lifecycle. Use of health services for routine care by women, newborns and children is increasing, especially in low- and middle-income settings. However, care seeking for illness is making slower progress.

There is a gap between families receiving health care and those receiving quality care, meaning that there are missed opportunities to improve health outcomes. This quality gap is further compounded by inequities, with the poorest women and children often receiving the worst quality of care. With adolescent health prioritised as a global public health priority, access to care for adolescents needs to be purposively targeted in policy and programmes.