Funding Cuts Related to Decline in Tuberculosis Incidence, Nikoghosyan

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Alina Nikoghosyan, made a post on her Facebook page regarding the funding related to tuberculosis services.

According to her, there has been no change in the financial allocations for the Yerevan Municipal Anti-Tuberculosis Dispensary in 2019. Given the steady decline in tuberculosis incidence in Armenia over the past few years and the underutilization of organizations providing tuberculosis inpatient treatment, the Ministry of Health has undertaken the optimization of these organizations. This includes cuts in financial resources allocated from the state budget.

At the same time, taking into account the World Health Organization's recommended and internationally accepted patient-centered model for tuberculosis treatment, tuberculosis services are being strengthened within primary health care at polyclinics, making them more accessible for the population. This approach provides opportunities for diagnosis in case of suspected tuberculosis and ensures daily supervision during treatment.

The new guidelines for tuberculosis treatment confirmed by the Minister of Health in 2019 describe more accessible options for providing tuberculosis services based on international best practices, including home visits, video calls, and treatment supervised by a family member. The implementation of these measures reduces the need for existing volumes of tuberculosis service providers.

In light of the above, the suitability of providing financial resources to the Yerevan Municipal Anti-Tuberculosis Dispensary in the 2020 budget is being discussed at the Ministry of Health. The founder of this dispensary is the Yerevan City Hall, and issues regarding its re-profiling or the viability of providing other services are beyond the authority of the Ministry of Health.

Patients who require inpatient treatment due to the strike can continue their treatment at the National Center for the Fight Against Tuberculosis or at local polyclinics.