Self-assessment of public health services in the Republic of Uzbekistan

Since the first days of independence, significant changes have begun in the health system of Uzbekistan. By 1991, Uzbekistan had a rather developed health system but it was characterized by a centralized structure and imperfect managerial mechanisms.

In 1998, a Presidential decree adopted the National Health System Reform Programme on a phase approach to the formation of the national health system model. It is based on the principles of strict observance of social protection conditions of the population, universal availability of guaranteed medical care, and phase transition of some health institutions on mixed and private funding sources.

This assessment of the public health service in Uzbekistan was undertaken by the working group of the Ministry of Health with the involvement of specialists of different areas, and  organized under the coordination of the WHO Regional Office for Europe team for Public Health Services, with the WHO Country Office in Uzbekistan.