08-03-2021 WHO/Malin Bring New WHO analysis shows how access to health care and financial protection deteriorated in Cyprus following health budget cuts and coverage restrictions from 2012 to 2015. Policy responses to the financial and economic crisis exacerbated existing gaps in health coverage, but reforms introduced in 2019 are closing these gaps and addressing other long-standing health system problems. Informed by evidence, the reforms are expected to reduce unmet need and financial hardship. They represent a major step towards universal health coverage. Gaps in coverage before the financial crisis The health system in Cyprus has always relied heavily on out-of-pocket payments, which reflects a large gap in population coverage, low levels of public spending on health, persistent budget and capacity constraints in public facilities, fragmented service delivery, and a large and underregulated market for privately provided health services.