Healthcare in Azerbaijan
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Healthcare in Azerbaijan is provided by public and private healthcare institutions and regulated through the Ministry of Healthcare.


Historical introduction


ADR period

Ministry of Healthcare was established on June 17, 1918 according to the decree of Council of Ministers of
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
. The surgeon Khudadat Rafibeyli was appointed as the first minister who graduated Medical faculty of Kharkhov University. The government developed a comprehensive plan to improve medical service to provide with state-funded medical service for residents, open new medical centers, construct medical warehouses and laboratory buildings, besides necessary equipment was acquired by the order of the Ministry. Government tried to improve fighting against
epidemic An epidemic (from Ancient Greek, Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics ...
s, upgrade the medical service in regions with providing medical staff and
medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...
. More than 30 hospitals were operating in regions during the
ADR ADR or adr may refer to: Computing * Asynchronous DRAM refresh, an approach for persistent memory found in some Intel Xeon processors * The adr microformat, part of the hCard microformat * Architectural decision record * Action–domain–respond ...
.
Outpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health care ...
services were provided free of charge in the villages. The main tasks of the existing rural hospitals and medical stations were the hospitalization of infectious patients and neutralization of the disease areas. Taking into account the insufficiency, as there was only a doctor for 75 thousand residents, Parliament decided on opening 35 new hospitals and 56 medical assistant points and providing 43 billion manats for that in order to expand hospital network in rural areas. State pharmacies and an analytical
laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...
were set up in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
to make drugs, bacteriological preparations, treatment syrups, and to conduct medical-legal examinations. A central warehouse was established to provide healthcare service with medicines and medical supplies properly and timely. Students were granted to study medical studies abroad by the Government of the
Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
.


Soviet period

After ADR collapsed and Azerbaijan became a part of Soviet Union, health system started to develop as a part of Soviet healthcare. Newly formed People’s Commissariat of Healthcare of Azerbaijan by Soviet authorities benefited from the traditions established during the
ADR ADR or adr may refer to: Computing * Asynchronous DRAM refresh, an approach for persistent memory found in some Intel Xeon processors * The adr microformat, part of the hCard microformat * Architectural decision record * Action–domain–respond ...
period. The main task of the Commissariat was to fight against infectious diseases such as
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
,
chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab ...
,
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
, and
measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...
.Mohsun Gadirli was appointed as a healthcare commissar (healthcare minister) to carry out reforms in this area in November 1921. During his term a unified healthcare system was created, special attention was paid to personnel training, improvement of health service in rural areas, improvement of drug supply of the population, development of medical services for women and children.
Hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
s,
outpatient clinics A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
,
pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
and other medical institutions were established in the centers of different regions and in larger settlements. Implementing the decrees on nationalization of drugstores, distribution of free food for children, and free medical care for the population was started. Considering the need for medical staff and specialized scientific-research institutions in various fields of medicine, People’s Health Commissar of Azerbaijan Mohsun Gadirli launched a sanitary-epidemiological organization under the supervision of A.Alibeyov, the state sanitary-epidemiology inspector. Later on Scientific-Research Center of Virology, Microbiology and Hygiene was established based on previous organization. In 1923 the Institute of Skin and Venereal diseases in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, and in 1926 Central Skin and
Venereal Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) ...
Dispensary was established. In 1927 the Institution of Mother and Child Protection, in 1931 The Institution of Medical
Parasitology Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question but by their way of life. This means it fo ...
and
Tropical Diseases Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forci ...
, in 1935 the Institution of Resorts and
Physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
, and in 1941 the Institution of Roentgenology,
Radiology Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiat ...
and
Oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
were opened. After the World War 2 rehabilitation of the disabled war veterans were one of the top issues for the state authorities. The Scientific Research Institute of Orthopedics and Reproductive Surgery was established in 1946 for that purpose. In 1960-70s a number of healthcare facilities including Urology Hospital, Diagnostic Center, Neurosurgical Center, Toxicology Center, Family Planning Center were established within a short period of time; construction of new building for National Center of Oncology and new complex for the Scientific-Research Institution of Ophthalmology was started. The context for the healthcare system in
Azerbaijan Republic Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
inherited Soviet Semashko model, which was a tax-based system with its highly centralized planning of resources and personnel based on a hierarchical structure. Soviet health system was owned by the state, planned and managed centrally. All healthcare personnel were employed by the state, and private practice was not allowed.


Current healthcare system

After independence in 1991 the healthcare system of
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
confronted economic difficulties and therefore, quality and access to medical service declined. The traditions inherited from Semashko model still remain in health structure of the country. Government is trying to address the problems faced by healthcare sphere of the country with implementing different reforms, projects and getting support from international organizations. Healthcare system in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
has been improving in recent years with the support of
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
. New medical establishments are constructed, upgraded medical equipment is provided and medical staff is trained in the framework of the projects.


Public healthcare

However, there are significant improvements in healthcare system; Azerbaijani society suffers from inefficient and underfunded public healthcare. Public hospitals are run by the state and medical care is offered free of charge for Azerbaijani residents. Pediatric and adult polyclinics offering outpatient services and specialized clinics/hospitals offering inpatient services are the public facilities. These establishments are mostly located in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
.


Private healthcare

Private healthcare in Azerbaijan experienced enlargement recently.


Health tourism

Azerbaijan is a target of health tourists from Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Russia. The Bona Dea International Hospital in Baku was built in 2018 to attract international custom, and has staff from various European countries.


Pharmacies

A number of
pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
(aptek) are operating in the main cities of the country, especially in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
most of them are open 24/7.


Organizational structure

It was one of the main functions of the state to ensure the health care for the population which was mentioned in the 1995 Constitution. The healthcare system is mainly divided between Ministry of Healthcare and local authorities. Central institutions, a number of facilities including republican hospitals, research institutes and sanitary epidemiology system belong to the Ministry. Local hospitals, district polyclinics and specialized dispensaries are owned by district and city administrations. Other ministries also manage health services in addition to their main service, such as Ministries of Transport, Defense, Customs with the hospitals of Railway, Defense and Customs respectively. The
Medical University A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...
was also under the responsibility of Ministry of healthcare, but after a few years of gaining independence, it was granted autonomy. The current Statute of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan is confirmed by a decree signed by
Heydar Aliyev Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev ( az, Һејдәр Әлирза оғлу Әлијев, italic=no, Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, ; , ; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani politician who served as the third president of Aze ...
on December 29, 1998. For the beginning of 2017 there are 569 hospitals, 1758 ambulatory-polyclinics, 32.2 thousand physicians in the country.


Healthcare reforms

The Government Commission was established to organize and conduct health care reforms according to the Resolution No 760 (March 13, 1998) of the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", a ...
. It includes the ministers of economy, finance, justice ministries, heads of National Bank, Social Protection Fund, Trade Unions Confederation, State Insurance Supervision Service, responsible employees of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan. By the Decree of the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", a ...
No. 49 (December 29, 1998) "The Statue of State Commission for Healthcare Reforms in the Republic of Azerbaijan" was approved. The government of Azerbaijan has been accepted laws on: "''Pharmaceutical activity''" (1996 November 5); "''Protecting of population health''" (26 June 1997); "''Radiation safety of the population''" (1997 December 30); "''Transplantation of human organ and (or) tissues''" (1999 October 28); "''Medical insurance''" (1999 October 28); "''Private medical practice''" (1999 December 30); "''Immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases''" (2000 April 14); "C''ontrol tuberculosis in the Republic of Azerbaij''an" (2000 May 2); "Ps''yc''hiatric ''care''" (2001 June 12); "N''arcological service and contr''ol" (2001 June 29); "I''odization of salt for mass prevention of iodine deficie''ncy" (2001 December 27); "St''ate care for people wit''h ''diabetes''" (2003 December 23); "Turn''over of narcotics, psychotropic substances and their precurso''rs" (2005 June 28); "Pha''rmaceutical produc''ts" (2006 December 22); "Fi''ght against the'' diseas''e caused by human immunodeficiency vi''rus" (2010 May 11); Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "O''n protecting of population he''alth” (2013 October 22, 2011 June 24); "Sta''te care of multiple scle''rosis" (2012 March 7); "Man''datory child dispe''nsing" (2013 may 5).


Healthcare projects

After gaining independence, the healthcare system in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
faced with challenges because of ongoing war and economic downturn. International organizations (USAID, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank) started to help
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
in the field of healthcare.
Heydar Aliyev Foundation The Heydar Aliyev Foundation ( az, Heydər Əliyev Fondu) is a charitable foundation headed by Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. The foundation is named after Azerbaijan's former president, Heydar Aliyev – the father of the incumbent pre ...
is also initiating projects to support healthcare. Those projects are dealing with
diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased app ...
,
thalassemia Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders characterized by decreased hemoglobin production. Symptoms depend on the type and can vary from none to severe. Often there is mild to severe anemia (low red blood cells or hemoglobin). Anemia can result ...
patients and their treatments, organizing blood donation, improving health condition of mothers and their babies. Projects for applying modern information technologies to the healthcare system were implemented as “Electronic Azerbaijan” State Program. “Electronic health card of citizens” system was launched in the framework of this program. Despite all these developments, healthcare system in Azerbaijan still requires attention, and there are some important issues to be solved. For that reason, major challenges facing healthcare sector are highlighted in “Azerbaijan: View at future” Development Conception approved by the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan.


International relations in healthcare


USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

* ''Primary Healthcare Services Development Project'' * ''Reproductive Wellbeing and Family Medicine Project'' * ''Demographic and Health Summary in Azerbaijan Project'' * ''The Struggle Against The Measles and German measles Project'' * ''Development of First Aid Project'' * ''Rescue of Children Project''


UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

* ''Rescue of Children project'' * ''Reproductive Wellbeing and Family Medicine Project'' * ''Demographic and Health Summary in Azerbaijan Project'' * ''Strengthening medical services in the regions of Azerbaijan'' * ''Statistics on the child mortality under the age of 5''


WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book ''Horton Hear ...

* ''Public Health Policy Project'' * ''Determination of the new ICD 10 nozzle codes'' * ''Struggle against tobacco project'' * ''Struggle with Tuberculosis Project'' * ''Malaria Project'' * ''AIDS project''


World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...

* ''Reforms in Healthcare Educational Innovation Project'' * ''PHRD Project for Reforms in the Public health system''


Health insurance

Law on Medical Insurance (1999) was not widely implemented in the country and employees were rarely subjected to compulsory medical insurance, so different actions were carried out to fill the gaps in health insurance. One of them was establishment The State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan according to the Order No. 2592 dated 27 December 2007 by the
President of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", ...
. Regulation and structure of the Agency was approved by the President of Azerbaijan according to the Decree No. 765 (15 February 2016). Therefore, new system will provide health insurance fund for pensioners, non-working citizens and those receiving social benefits financed by the state.
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
introduced pilot compulsory health insurance project according to the Decree (2016 November 29) of the
President of Azerbaijan The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", ...
on "Measures for ensuring implementation activities of mandatory health insurance pilot project in Mingachavir and
Yevlakh Yevlakh ( az, Yevlax, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, 265 km west of capital Baku. It is surrounded by, but administratively separate from, the Yevlakh District. Etymology The settlement is mentioned by the 13th century Armenian historian Step ...
. It is also planned to implement mandatory health insurance throughout the country in the future.


See also

*
Medicine in Azerbaijan Medicine in Azerbaijan serves to protect the health and prosperity of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Reforms in the sphere of medical care and the health care system's direction are parts of a global strategic development program of econom ...
* Ministry of Healthcare of Azerbaijan * Azerbaijan State Medical University


References

{{Healthcare in Europe
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...