Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 14 November 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed new proposals aimed at early detection and effective treatment of diseases.

Healthcare holds a prominent place in the country’s social policy. Over the past seven years, funding for this sector has increased sixfold. Today, regional and district medical institutions perform more than 400 high-tech operations, procedures that were previously available exclusively in Tashkent.

To facilitate early disease detection, oncology, endocrinology, and cardiology centers are conducting screening examinations across the regions. Notably, 1.7 million women underwent screenings, and precancerous conditions were identified in 49,000 of them. In the first half of the current year, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes were diagnosed in 122,000 individuals at early stages.

Ensuring public health requires consistent effort. Based on an analysis of the current situation, proposals for key directions in medical development were presented during a session.

One major challenge remains the late detection of diseases. To tackle this, the President initiated an experimental incentive program for medical teams in the Kashkadarya region. Under this program, doctors receive a bonus of 2 million soums for each case of early cancer detection. As a result, family doctors identified such conditions in 51 women and children within their assigned neighborhoods. A total of 102 million soums was allocated for bonuses, saving 8 billion soums that would have been required for treatment in cases of late diagnosis.

Statistics show that 20–25% of all cancer cases involve breast and cervical cancer. To address this, plans are in place to expand screening examinations and establish a registry for these cases.

Additionally, three-year programs focusing on early detection and treatment of hematological, cardiological, and endocrinological diseases are nearing completion. Leaders have been tasked with analyzing the outcomes and considering an extension of these programs.

The centralized system for procuring medicines for medical institutions has revealed certain deficiencies, including shortages in some hospitals and overstocking in others. To resolve this, a transition to procurement based on a 15-month demand forecast has been proposed. Plans for subsequent years will be finalized by 1 August in alignment with the parameters of the State Budget.

Moreover, a "Procurement Center" with 13 regional branches will be established under the Ministry of Health. Beginning from 1 January ]2025, the center will have the authority to directly procure original medicines and consumables for closed-system laboratory equipment directly from manufacturers.

Another proposal involves increasing the one-time monetary reward for recipients of the "Honorary Donor of the Republic of Uzbekistan" badge from 5 to 15 base calculation rates. Honorary donors will also be granted free public transport access and priority treatment at state sanatoriums.

The implementation of the new system is scheduled to begin on 1 January ]2025.

During the meeting, participants also discussed notifying the World Trade Organization about the sanitary and phytosanitary measures being implemented in Uzbekistan, underscoring the nation’s commitment to aligning with international standards.