Over the past two decades health systems in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have undergone substantial changes in relation to their financing and the way how services are delivered to the population. In many countries a shift from hospital centred to primary health care focused systems have taken place: the number of hospital beds and hospitals were reduced in an important way and family doctors sometimes embedded in family medicine teams are today the first point of contact to deliver essential services to the population. At the same time Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as cardio-vascular disease or diabetes, have become more predominant and are today responsible for a significant share of the burden of disease in these countries. The symposium will allow participants to learn from recent experiences in countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia in strengthening primary health care services and their relation to NCD prevention and treatment.
Symposium of the Swiss TPH, a member of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland.