ArmInfo.The Asian Development Bank (ADB) intends to expand its areas of activity in Armenia. Luke Fochtman, Deputy Country Director of ADB (Asian Development Bank )Armenia Resident Mission stated this during a press conference on April 11, presenting the ADO (Asian Development Outlook).
Noting that the Bank is considering new areas of cooperation, he pointed primarily to the sectors of education and healthcare. In particular, an analysis of the health sector was included in the ADO. According to Mr Fochtman, the industry today faces numerous challenges that affect the quality and availability of services. He noted that the introduction of e-health will greatly improve the quality of services provided, which is very important for a well-functioning healthcare system.
The deputy head of the ADB-Armenia also emphasized that equal access of the population to high-quality services is limited by insufficient funding for the sector. In this regard, he said that the Asian Development Bank intends to support the government's comprehensive reforms in the healthcare sector. In particular, he noted that the basis of these reforms is the introduction of universal health insurance, the full implementation of which in Armenia will start from 2027. "This is a very good initiative, and the Bank is ready to work with the government to achieve success," Mr Fochtman said. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been in partnership with Armenia since 2005 and remains one of the country's largest multilateral development partners. As of April 2024, the Bank has implemented numerous projects in Armenia worth $1.9 billion, which were aimed at developing the transport, financial, energy, water sectors, and other infrastructure.
On February 2, 2023, the government approved the Concept for the introduction of for universal medical insurance proposed by the Ministry of Health, according to which the implementation of the system is planned over the next 4 years.
It was planned that from 2024, all beneficiaries of government orders would join the system, who would be offered a single package of services, which would avoid confusion caused by the current system of differentiated services. Already in 2025, the state will cover the costs for universal medical insurance for pensioners. And the full implementation of universal medical insurance is planned from 2027. The concept notes that the necessary financial resources for universal medical insurance will come from two main sources: the state budget and insurance premiums. Funds from the state budget will be allocated on the principle of co- financing to cover insurance costs, taking into account the social and medical risks of beneficiaries. Meanwhile, independent experts called the Concept unfinished, crude and not meeting the declared goals and objectives, which is why it cannot be adopted in the proposed version.
