Improving Health and Health Care in Belarus : Belarus Health Policy Note
The document reviews the health system in Belarus, inherited from the Soviet era, where health care services includes good health indicators relative to its average income levels, a strong commitment to providing equitable access to health care, an...
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| Language: | English en_US |
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Washington, DC
2013
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2002/05/1803808/belarus-improving-health-health-care-belarus http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15419 |
| Summary: | The document reviews the health system
in Belarus, inherited from the Soviet era, where health care
services includes good health indicators relative to its
average income levels, a strong commitment to providing
equitable access to health care, and well trained medical
doctors. However, there is an overall dissatisfaction with
the health system's performance, namely a deteriorated
health status, declining birth rates, and increased death
rates. There is inadequate prevention, and treatment of
cardiovascular disease, including that for renewed epidemics
of communicable diseases, i.e., tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and
sexually transmitted infections, and, further concerns
include the inappropriate allocation of the percentage of
GDP to health care. Such performance arise from the absence
of clinical protocols, and treatment methods which do not
reflect effective approaches to medical care and disease
prevention; from an unbalanced health care delivery;
inadequate health facilities, and management systems; and,
the inefficient allocation of health resources. A sustained,
and wide-ranging process of gradual, planned improvements in
the health care system should include fostering disease
prevention, while promoting clinical practices with good
medical assistance, reorganizing the system of health
infrastructure into a diverse network of accredited
facilities, with defined roles, commensurate technology, and
accountability for clinical excellence, and effective use of
resources. Other changes call for the realignment of
professional, and financial incentives for health providers,
and consumers, for professional training opportunities, and,
by restructuring incentives. |
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