Preparedness of a Rural Health Unit for Universal Health Care Implementation: A Health System Building Blocks Assessment in the Philippines

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) emphasizes equitable access to quality health services and strengthened primary health care systems. Community health workers play a vital role in operationalizing UHC at the grassroots level by delivering health education, promoting preventive care, and linking communities to formal health services. This study assessed the socio-demographic profile, health knowledge, readiness for health education, and misconceptions among community health workers in an urban Philippine setting. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design was employed involving 186 respondents selected through proportionate sampling. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, Pearson correlation, and t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that respondents demonstrated a high level of health knowledge (M=3.64–3.77) and very high readiness for health education (M=3.75). However, persistent misconceptions regarding health transmission and prevention were identified. Statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and health knowledge (p>0.05). The results indicate that while community health workers are generally knowledgeable and highly prepared for their roles, knowledge gaps and misconceptions still exist that may affect health communication effectiveness. The study concludes that continuous training and standardized capacity-building programs are essential to strengthen knowledge accuracy, improve readiness, and support effective community-based health education under the UHC framework.