9 April 2018: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has updated its Social Protection Toolbox, an online platform for policy makers to share experiences and good practices in providing healthcare and income security. The refreshed platform offers over 100 examples of good practices from around the world, and users can apply an online assessment tool to identify gaps in social protection coverage by country and population group. The toolbox was initially developed by ESCAP’s Social Development Division, in cooperation with other UN regional commissions, and was promoted in 2014 and 2015 for policy makers and planners.

The good practices featured in the toolbox include rights-based legal frameworks, primary healthcare, disability support, age pensions, health insurance and unemployment insurance, among many others. ‘E-learning guides’ in the toolbox support the introduction of universal social protection schemes, meant to help reach the poor.

ESCAP reports that at least four out of 10 people in the region have no healthcare coverage and must use their own resources to meet healthcare costs when needed, including costs related to illness, injury and pregnancy. Other features of the toolbox include an animation clip that explains what social protection is, a knowledge quiz, and a range of ESCAP publications on social protection, poverty and inequality. [ESCAP Web Page on Social Protection Toolbox] [Social Protection Toolbox] [ESCAP 2014 Press Release on Workshop on Social Protection Toolbox]