Health care plays a crucial role in combating social inequality: people working in the informal economies of sub-Saharan Africa are generally poor and therefore are at much higher risk of falling into financial debt because of the cost of treatment. Several African countries have, in recent years, made considerable progress in extending universal health coverage (UHC) to households in the informal economy. This publication provides an overview of the progress made in advancing towards the global goal of achieving universal health coverage in six African countries.