Uzbekistan’s health delegation visited Lithuania (Aug 18–22, 2025) to learn from its universal insurance model. The study tour shared lessons on governance, payments, and digital tools to guide upcoming reforms.
Vilnius, Lithuania – 18–22 August 2025: A high-level health sector delegation from Uzbekistan completed a week-long study tour to Lithuania from 18 to 22 August 2025 as part of the country’s efforts to advance ongoing health financing reforms. The study tour was organised by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ Uzbekistan and GIZ Global Programme BACKUP Health) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uzbekistan and the State Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). GIZ BACKUP Health implements its support to Uzbekistan with financing from the Swiss Confederation.
The delegation of 15 representatives included Uzbek officials from the MoH, Ministry of Economy and Finance, SHIF, GIZ, and WHO.
Learning from Lithuania’s Experience
Since October 2024, Uzbekistan has been transitioning from a Semashko-style, input-based budgeting model toward a results-oriented state health insurance system. Lithuania’s successful transformation of its health system, characterised by universal coverage, equitable access, and financial sustainability, offered highly relevant lessons at this critical stage of Uzbekistan’s reforms.
Hosted by the Lithuanian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), participants explored:
- Governance and institutional arrangements of Lithuania’s health insurance system.
- Provider payment reforms for primary health care and hospitals.
- Pricing of healthcare services and reimbursement of medicines.
- Contracting processes with providers and financial supervision.
- The role of digital health technologies in health insurance operations.
The program also included visits to the Ministry of Health of Lithuania, outpatient clinic Karoliniskiu poliklinika, Kaunas Medical Science University Hospital, and the National Ambulance Service, providing first-hand insights into service delivery and system management.
A First Step in a Long-Term Reform Journey
The study tour marked an important first step in deepening collaboration between Uzbekistan and Lithuania on health insurance reforms. It provided Uzbek policymakers with practical knowledge on the design, implementation, and governance of state health insurance systems.
The lessons learned will help Uzbekistan shape a robust model of strategic purchasing and provider payment mechanisms, both of which are central to the country’s ongoing health financing reforms.
“Lithuania’s experience shows that an effective health insurance system ensures financial stability and simultaneously improves public health. By implementing such a model in Uzbekistan, it is possible to improve the quality of medical services for the population, make financing sustainable and adapt the healthcare system to modern requirements.”
— Shukrat Almardanov, Head of Health Insurance Department at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan
“For the State Health Insurance Fund, this visit was extremely useful in learning the operational aspects of health insurance management, particularly provider payment mechanisms and digital tools. These lessons will guide us as we move toward the national rollout of state health insurance by 2026.”
— Ulugbek Kandimov, Deputy Executive Director of the State Health Insurance Fund of the State Health Insurance Fund of Uzbekistan
