Overview

In Tajikistan’s health system most health facilities are owned and operated by the government, but financing relies largely on private out-of-pocket (OOP) payments. Almost all citizens are eligible to access publicly funded health services, but the scope and depth of public coverage is limited, and 18% of households experienced catastrophic health spending in 2022.

Tajikistan’s health expenditure per capita in 2022 was just USD 364 per capita when adjusted for purchasing power – the second-lowest in the WHO European Region. Public spending as a percentage of current health expenditure is also one of the lowest in the region, and OOP payments constituted 65.2% of current health expenditure in 2022.

Over the last two decades, the government has initiated a range of reforms to advance universal health coverage and strengthen primary care, centred around health financing, governance and service delivery. A basic benefits package was piloted in an increasing number of districts in 2007-2023, and its redesign and reintroduction is likely to be an important area of reform in the future.