Better noncommunicable disease outcomes: challenges and opportunities for health systems: Belarus Country Assessment (2016)

Like many countries Belarus is facing a growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden.

This report examines the opportunities and challenges for Belarus to accelerate improvement in cardiovascular and diabetes outcomes. Belarus has given priority to health, as evidenced by the relatively high public allocations to health and Belarus has managed to maintain good financial protection for its citizens.

With NCDs responsible for most of the disease burden and increasing financial pressures, there is a need to strengthen efficiency, seek ways to rationalize service delivery and improve the quality of services. Belarus has achieved good results in scaling up tertiary care and treatment for CVD. There is substantial scope to scale up the most cost-effective interventions in CVD and diabetes control, including control of risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol misuse, poor diets and low physical activity. Hypertension and hyperlipidaemia are still under detected and undermanaged.

The implementation of these core interventions will need to go hand in hand with a shift towards more comprehensive and efficient models of primary care and greater patient engagement and empowerment.