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ILO regional compendium provides insights on countries’ strategies to extend social health protection coverage in Central and Western Asia

ILO

Countries in Central and Western Asia (CWA) are making progress towards comprehensive social health protection (SHP) systems through must-needed reforms. These improvements are crucial for extending both legal and effective population coverage, ensuring that more people have access to essential health care services while being financially protected.

The new compendium from the International Labour Organization (ILO) on extending social health protection in CWA highlights strategies, pathways and remaining challenges to tackle in 11 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan.

Findings underscore the need for political commitment and tailored approaches to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and universal social protection (USP). The compendium highlights that despite near-universal legal coverage of the population, gaps remain in terms of their effective protection by a scheme. In addition, coverage adequacy (including the range of goods and services available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality, as well as the level of financial protection) can be improved. As a result, populations in CWA overly rely on household payments, which exacerbates inequality. Yet, recent policy developments in the subregion are encouraging.

The compendium stresses the importance of robust social protection systems built on the principles of solidarity and equity to fight poverty and ensure access to adequate care. It also calls for strengthened social health protection system through increased investment in prevention, primary care, and benefits for sickness and maternity. Additionally, addressing key determinants of health, including through greater coordination between health and social protection policies, requires urgent action.

The new publication aims to serve as a strategic tool for policy makers to strengthen and expand their social health protection systems in the region.

See the ILO regional compendium and explore the ILO social health protection toolkit.

 

Publications Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Türkiye , Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Armenia , Cyprus , Georgia Social protection policy , Maternity , Sickness , Social health protection , Social insurance , Reform
03.09.2024