Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to look at what has happened in Russia during the last ten years in the health care sector from the point of view of integrated care. This country, when it still was the leading subject of the Soviet Union, hosted in 1978 the Alma Ata Conference on Primary Health Care, which in many countries gave a strong boost on the development of multidisciplinary, community based care in a gate-keeper position. In Soviet Russia, PHC became marginalised and identical to poor level of care in remote areas of the country where people had very little choice and did not want to use it. Has the situation changed, and is Russia in practice addressing the problems created by the lack of integration, vertical treatment structures and over specialisation? In addition to the data sources that are referred to in the text, this paper is based on "gray literature" available in project reports and governmental documents, and on the personal experiences of the authors, who have worked for long periods of time in the Russian Federation as international experts dealing with health sector reforms and health policy formulation.
Highlights
About 146 million Russians live in a federation of 89 states
The purpose of this paper is to look at what has happened in Russia during the last ten years in the health care sector from the point of view of integrated care
Russian health care has existed for decades in a society with a federal administration of 89 ‘‘Federal Subjects’’, i.e. republics and regions (‘‘oblasts’’)
Summary
About 146 million Russians live in a federation of 89 states. Russian health care has existed for decades in a society with a federal administration of 89 ‘‘Federal Subjects’’, i.e. republics and regions (‘‘oblasts’’). Their average size is about 2 million inhabitants, which is more than in many European states. The Soviet era saw the transformation of a rudimentary health care system of Tsarist times and created a substantial inheritance for the present Russian Federation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have