The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of those who are inadequately covered by social protection in more and less developed countries alike, and has exacerbated the fragility of a social contract that was already under strain in many countries. A weak social contract in the context of an exceptional crisis poses a very real risk to social cohesion. Nevertheless, many States have reasserted themselves as the guarantor of rights by protecting public health and incomes. By sustaining these measures, economic recovery will be supported which will help minimize risks that may weaken social cohesion. However, this is a fast-moving, inherently unstable and protracted crisis. Social protection stands at a critical juncture. Decisive policy action will be required to strengthen social protection systems, including floors, as one of the cornerstones of a reinvigorated social contract.

Action Research & Knowledge Sharing network (SPARKS), an international interdisciplinary research network. SPARKS' multi-sectoral team characterizes and evaluates the direct and indirect effects of social protection strategies on health, economic, and wider outcomes. Contributors All authors conceptualised the paper, wrote it jointly and approved the final version.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Social Health Protection (SHP) are key policy foci that cut across all dimensions of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Understanding of these two concepts, their fundamentals and relations would improve health policy development and implementation to attain UHC and effectively protect the health of people and save lives and livelihoods. The COVID‐19 pandemic has provided useful lessons to improve multi‐sector activities to strengthen and finance health and social protection systems. The aim of this article is to provide conceptual clarity on the contribution of the global frameworks on SHP to the policy goal of UHC. In doing so, the article contributes to health financing and social security related policy discussions and advocates for much needed integrated policy actions at global as well as country levels. It discusses the origins of the two concepts and the relevance of SHP to health systems financing for UHC. Although country situations differ, the main findings, especially for low‐ and middle‐income countries, are highlighted and summarized.

This paper highlights the key entry points for social protection systems to contribute to the Decade on Healthy Ageing, building on a rights-based approach achored in human rights and international social security standards.

With the acceleration of population ageing, healthy ageing is becoming an imperative for all. Social protection systems have an important role to play in this endeavour. Through a life cycle approach, social protection systems can support i) the prevention of disability in old age (i.e. by addressing the social determinants of health and rehabilitation), ii) effective access to long‐term care without hardship for those who need it, and iii) decent work in the care economy. To do so will require adopting a gender‐transformative approach. Indeed, women are disproportionately represented among both older persons and long‐term care providers in their diversity. Further, to adequately contribute to healthy ageing and effective access to long‐term care without hardship as a rights‐based entitlement, social protection systems will need to build strong coordination between health care, social care and other social policies. This article highlights the key entry points for social protection systems to contribute to the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, building on the rights‐based approach of human rights and international social security standards.