The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it is to assist Armenia implement a long-term healthcare reform programme. During a meeting with the Armenian Health Minister Arsen Torosyan, the head of the EBRD’s Armenian office Dimitri Gvindadze said that cooperation would encompass almost every aspect of the country’s healthcare system.

“Our participation depends on private investment,” said Mr Gvindadze. “If the private sector is ready, we are also ready to begin close cooperation. Healthcare is an area in which we can work effectively.”

Armenian is currently trialling a pilot programme based on a flexible insurance system, which Mr Torosyan said he hoped to see expanded over the next three to four years.

“Currently, a pilot insurance programme for civil servants covers about 100,000 people from a particular social group,” he said. “This does not solve all the problems but significantly changes the status quo. We would like to grow the programme step-by-step because experience shows that if you make sudden changes the results can often be less successful.”

Healthcare reform in Armenia began in October 2017. In its first stage, the primary beneficiaries were around 100,000 civil servants. From the second half of 2018, the social package will cover the most at-risk segments of the population, which includes more than 600,000 people. The programme will then be rolled-out to the rest of the population from 2019.