Uzbekistan Joins Global “National Health Compacts” Initiative

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has joined an international coalition of fifteen countries that presented their “National Health Compacts” in Tokyo — strategic agreements aimed at accelerating progress toward universal health coverage (UHC).

The high-level forum brought together global leaders, experts and representatives of international organizations to discuss ways to bridge the healthcare access gap, which, according to the latest data, affects billions of people worldwide.

The initiative is part of the World Bank Group’s ambitious goal, announced in April 2024, to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to 1.5 billion people by 2030.

Newly released data from the 2025 Global Monitoring Report shows that 4.6 billion people worldwide lack access to basic health services, while 2.1 billion face financial hardship when paying for medical treatment.

“Strong primary healthcare systems not only safeguard health, but also create jobs and expand economic opportunities,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. He emphasized that the success of reforms depends on countries joining efforts and scaling up practical, proven solutions.

The success of the initiative will be backed by coordinated international support. The World Bank Group, Gavi, and the Global Fund announced joint financial commitments, including two billion dollars in co-financing from each institution, to support countries that have endorsed the compacts.

Alongside Uzbekistan, national programs were presented by Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, and other countries. Japan, as the host country, together with WHO and the World Bank, launched the UHC Knowledge Hub to facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices among governments.

The document prepared by Uzbekistan outlines a large-scale reform plan through 2030 aimed at addressing demographic pressures, the growing burden of chronic diseases, and the health impacts of climate change.

The country’s population, now over 37 million, is expected to reach 41 million by 2030.

At the same time, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) — including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes — continue to rise, already accounting for 85% of all deaths nationwide. More than half of these cases are premature, occurring before age 70 — significantly higher than in OECD countries.

For the first time, the document provides a detailed assessment of climate change impacts on health: by 2030, climate-related factors are expected to result in around 35 million additional healthcare visits, imposing economic costs of roughly US$300 million.

Healthcare reform envisions a fundamental shift toward a primary-care-centered model. Currently, 85% of physicians in Uzbekistan are narrow specialists, leading many patients to bypass primary clinics and go directly to hospitals.

At present, only 40% of outpatient visits occur at the primary-care level. By 2030, the government aims to deliver 70% of all healthcare services through family clinics by granting them legal status and consolidating fragmented branches. Mobile medical teams will be deployed to serve residents of remote areas located more than ten kilometers from the nearest facility.

A large-scale digitalization of the health sector will proceed in parallel. Today, around 70% of healthcare processes are still paper-based. The reform aims to reduce doctors’ administrative workload by 30% through electronic medical records and digital workflows, and to fully digitize all medical institutions by 2030.

As an immediate step, the government launched a “90 Days of Change in Healthcare” program to improve infrastructure, renovate sanitation facilities, upgrade furniture in waiting rooms, and introduce online appointment booking.

Financial protection for citizens remains a key priority. Currently, 65.3% of health spending is paid out-of-pocket by households. The reform aims to reduce this share to 47% by 2027 through expanding state health insurance, transitioning to per-capita financing, and introducing a new performance-based remuneration model for physicians.

Implementation of the Compact will require substantial investment: by 2030, approximately US$21.39 billion will be needed, including US$20.8 billion to strengthen health financing, US$397 million for infrastructure modernization, and nearly US$80 million for digital transformation.

The government also plans to actively engage the private sector by outsourcing non-core services and piloting private-sector management of family clinics.

Notably, by the end of 2026, a pilot project in Kashkadarya Region will transfer the management of one family clinic to a private operator under equal tariff conditions with public facilities within the state health insurance system.