Key Points
Uzbekistan’s health system currently provides a basic set of publicly financed health services, but it does not cover all essential services or medicines. The Ministry of Health oversees the organization and management of the largely public health services, which are nominally free but face challenges due to low public spending and high out-of-pocket expenses, particularly affecting poorer households. While medical goods primarily drive health spending, recent reforms since 2018 focus on decentralizing care, improving primary health services, and introducing digitalization. The capacity of hospitals has increased, yet the emphasis remains on strengthening primary care through a team-based approach. Despite a slow growth in the health workforce, issues like uneven distribution and low salaries continue to pose challenges, along with ongoing migration concerns. Life expectancy has improved over two decades, although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a slight decline, and rates of infant and maternal mortality have seen reductions. High rates of routine childhood vaccination highlight preventative successes, but the persistence of communicable diseases like multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and a significant burden from noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular conditions, remain critical public health challenges.