Uzbekistan Launches National Cancer Program, Targets 45% Survival Rate

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Mirziyoyev Approves National Cancer Overhaul Targeting 45% Survival Rate and 80% Palliative Coverage by 2030

Uzbekistan will launch a WHO-backed National Cancer Programme in 2027, targeting a jump in five-year oncology survival rates from 35 to at least 45 percent and screening coverage of 60 percent of the population for the country's most prevalent cancer types, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev confirmed after reviewing a comprehensive reform package for oncological, hematological, and palliative care.

The programme, developed in partnership with the World Health Organization and international experts, will roll out regionally on a phased basis from 2027. Core measures include raising cancer awareness among primary healthcare workers, introducing clinical guidelines aligned with international standards, and expanding multidisciplinary approaches to diagnosis and treatment. A dedicated accelerated diagnostics system will be developed alongside a modernization of radiotherapy services — with aging equipment progressively replaced by modern linear accelerators and expanded high-dose brachytherapy capacity.

Palliative and hospice care received substantial attention. Coverage is to reach a minimum of 80 percent of the population by 2030, up from current levels. A unified palliative and hospice care system integrating medical and social services will be introduced nationally from September 1, 2026. Mobile palliative teams will provide home-based medical and social services, with inpatient care delivered through both state and private facilities, as well as hospices to be opened progressively across all regions. Tashkent's inter-regional hospice will serve as the national methodological centre for palliative care development. A pilot mobile team will begin operations in the capital's Mirzo-Ulugbek district, and a children's palliative care centre in hospice format will be established in Samarkand region.

Administrative procedures for palliative patients will be simplified: those registered in the electronic system will be assigned disability status by medical and social expert commission without additional examinations. Home care patients will receive functional beds and specialist mattresses through a voucher system, and a "Family Support" service for patients' relatives will be introduced at the mahalla level.

Hematology and oncohematology reform targets early-stage detection rates rising from the current 30–40 percent to 60 percent between 2026 and 2030, while the average time from diagnosis to transplantation will be cut from six to three months. Full specialist coverage for hematological patients and regional rollout of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are also mandated.

The package includes a social support component for state medical and pharmaceutical workers. Employees with at least 15 years of service will be eligible for partial tuition compensation for their children's undergraduate education and partial mortgage down-payment support.

Mirziyoyev approved all proposals and instructed officials to ensure high-quality implementation, improve access to oncological and hematological care in the regions, and accelerate the adoption of modern diagnostic and treatment technologies.