Sri Lanka realized universal coverage by ensuring that the rural poor had access to hospital services and by removing financial and social barriers to care. Sri Lanka's health system is public hospital-dominated and the government budget has prioritized establishing rural hospitals since the 1950s. The government financed the construction of a high-density but low-cost network of rural facilities to make sure that almost all citizens live within one or two kilometers of a clinic. Sri Lanka’s system successfully protects the poor from the catastrophic financial risk associated with illness. According to an EQUITAP study, only 0.3% of householders in Sri Lanka drop below the international poverty line due to health expenditures.