Health systems in transition : Uzbekistan

2.3 Organization
The key players involved in organizing and managing the health system in 
Uzbekistan are the President, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Supreme Assembly 
(Legislative Chamber and Senate), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of 
Finance, 
viloyat
 and 
tuman
 health authorities and the network of health facilities.

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Health systems in transition
  
Uzbekistan
12
The President and the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, 
are responsible for developing national health policies. Presidential decrees 
are typically strategy-setting documents that outline the vision and directions 
for health reforms. These decrees are then followed by documents issued by 
the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Health that elaborate on specific 
steps and measures needed to align the health system with these broad visions 
and directions. 
The Cabinet of Ministers decides on the financing of health care programmes 
and medical research, monitors environmental health, ensures a standard system 
for the collection and processing of health data and coordinates and supervises 
the activities of all government bodies concerned with health protection.
The Parliament adopts legislation on health care, approves the national 
health care budget and controls its execution. Health care laws are debated 
within the labour and welfare committees of the Parliament.
The Ministry of Finance formulates the budget to be approved by the 
Supreme Assembly and allocates funds to the Ministry of Health and the 
viloyats
, including funds for health services and capital investments.
The public sector consists of health care providers managed by 
viloyat 
and 
tuman
 health authorities and the Ministry of Health, as well as of 
all the institutions owned by the state and involved in health care delivery, 
rehabilitation, sanitary-epidemiological services, medical and pharmaceutical 
education, medical research, and the production of pharmaceuticals and 
medical equipment. The public sector also includes health care providers and 
pharmacies owned and operated by state agencies other than the Ministry of 
Health, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the military (Republic of 
Uzbekistan, 1996). 
The Ministry of Health is the major player in organizing, planning and 
managing the Uzbek health system. The organizational structure of the Ministry 
of Health (Fig. 2.2) is described in 
Presidential Decree No. 1119
 of 2 June 
2009 (President of Uzbekistan, 2009). The Ministry has 69 staff responsible 
for administration and management, not including 19 posts for secretarial and 
support staff. It is headed by the Minister of Health who is appointed and 
dismissed by the President with the approval of the Parliament. The Minister 
has one first deputy and three deputy ministers. The deputy ministers are 
appointed and dismissed by the President (President of Uzbekistan, 2009).

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Health systems in transition
  
Uzbekistan