[Contribution of universality to achieve equity in health]

This article presents a characterization of the different approaches to the analysis of equity in terms of equality, justice, distribution of resources, provision of services and risk management, based on the definition provided by different authors in the past two decades on this topic. It is also evident that the implementation of universalization policies in health programs has been a strategy for achieving equity, grounded on liberal approaches such as increased coverage, and egalitarian perspectives such as the universalization of access. Health reforms based on these equity approaches have not been enough to achieve equality yet because they maintain segregation and allow different types of services to different population groups, which is far from being a truly universal and equitable system. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the relationship between the principles of universalization and equity to understand the application of both principles in the health system of Colombia.