WORKSHOP 1
Organised by the Russian Academy of Sciences with the European Observatory on Health Systems & Policies and the WHO Regional Office for Europe
The effects of the financial crisis on health systems in Russia and other CIS countries
The economic ‘shock’ that followed the financial crisis of 2008 has also affected countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Those that already faced severe resource constraint had fewer options for maintaining equitable access to health services of reasonable quality. But even resource-rich countries such as the Russian Federation have sought to contain or reduce health spending in a number of ways: by cutting government budget expenditure on health, by redefining the benefit package more tightly or by improving technical and allocative efficiency in the system.
This workshop, which is organized jointly by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, will explore the range of responses to the challenges that the financial crisis brought to health systems of the Russian Federation and other CIS countries. The various options available to policy-makers for building resilience to and dealing with economic shocks to the health system when they arise in both resource constrained and resource rich economies provide all the countries of Europe with a valuable opportunity for cross-country learning.
In this session we will explore the potential for structural measures that may help to contain cost through improving performance and will have long term effects on expenditure levels.
Introduction
E Richardson, Senior researcher, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Financial constraints to the health systems in Eastern Europe and Central Asia - Panel discussion with policy-makers
E Tkacheva, Ministry of Health, Republic of Belarus
D Saginbaeva, Ministry of Health, Kyrgyz Republic
T Jilmanova, Office of the President, Tajikistan
S Axelrod, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department, Health Ministry, Russian Federation
O Chestnov, Assistant Director-General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva
Facilitated by
J Figueras, Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
F Vartanian, Academy of Medical Sciences, Russian Federation
In this session we will look at the immediate effects that the economic crisis has had on population health and how it has changed provision and utilisation of health services in countries of the CIS.
Introduction
B Rechel, Senior researcher, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Panel discussion with policy makers
D Borisov, Executive Director, Equal Right To Life Non-Profit-Making Partnership, Russian Federation
V Petrosyan, Director, Center for Health Services Research and Development, College of Health Sciences (CHS), American University of Armenia (AUA), Yerevan, Armenia
N Grigorieva, Head of the Center for Comparative Social Research MSU, Russian Federation
H Kluge, Director, Division of Health Systems and Public Health, WHO-Regional Office for Europe
O Chestnov, Assistant Director-General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva
Facilitated by
W Palm, Dissemination development Officer, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
T Chubarova Ph.D., Academy of Sciences Institute of Economics, Russian Federation