Under the motto “Health is the best investment”, the first-ever Central Asia International Health Investment Forum is bringing together international, regional and national stakeholders to highlight the transformative potential of health investments for sustainable development across the 5 WHO Member States of central Asia.
Hosted under the patronage of the President of Kyrgyzstan and organized by WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan, this 2-day event aims to showcase best practices and innovative health investment strategies that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Examples include public–private partnerships and digital health tools to improve efficiency.
Opening the Forum, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, commented, “There’s a reason why we are here today, in the heart of central Asia. While the rest of the WHO European Region is rapidly ageing, central Asia has a significant young and educated population, with roughly half of people under the age of 30. This will – if the youth potential is maximized – give central Asia an edge in the decades ahead.”
Dr Kluge added, “Meanwhile, economic growth remains solid. Gross domestic product overall is expected to increase by 4.1% this year, higher than any other part of the WHO European Region. These 2 indicators – demographics and economics – provide central Asia with a unique opportunity to turbo-boost its development, invest in critical sectors including health, and, ultimately, improve the lives of millions of people across this beautiful, diverse region.”
Mr Edil Baisalov, Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, stated, “Health is the greatest wealth of every nation, every family and every individual. Therefore, the best investment is an investment in health.” He emphasized the need to strengthen regional cooperation in medical research and training programmes, and called for the integration of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and telemedicine.
Over 2 days, Forum participants are exploring progressive approaches to a range of issues, such as enhancing access to primary health care, tackling tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, mitigating climate change, improving emergency preparedness, and addressing high rates of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Home to 76.5 million people, central Asia is on a positive health trajectory. Over the past 2 decades, life expectancy overall has increased by 5.2 years for men and 4 years for women, while maternal mortality has halved.
The region has taken decisive steps towards the SDGs, thanks to high-level political commitment from governments, and significant investments in health and related sectors by a growing number of donors and the central Asian countries themselves. However, there is an urgent need to accelerate progress, which requires substantial support from key development partners and consistent commitment from governments and health stakeholders.
Central Asia’s promising economic growth of over 4% per year is currently more than double the growth rate of the European Union. The health sector has an important role in generating of this growth: as an employer and purchaser of goods and services, it is among the top 10 sectors of the regional economy. Because of the multiplier effect of investing in health – for the economy, for social cohesion, for environmental regeneration and for human capital – it should also be a greater beneficiary.
Since the adoption of the WHO/Europe Roadmap for Health and Well-being in Central Asia 2022–2025, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have seen increasing collaboration in health initiatives.
The Roadmap outlines 11 action areas, including strengthening primary health care, advancing the digital transformation of health care, improving financial protection, reducing the burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and creating healthy and green environments.
The Forum aims to establish new partnerships and commitments, including from international donors and partners, to invest in health infrastructure and innovations, shaping a future where health is the bedrock of prosperity and stability in central Asia.