More money needed for maternal and child health

Armenia - World Vision Armenia Child Health Now Campaign, through Armenia’s Mother and Child Health Advocacy Alliance, calls for better financial investments and improvement in health sectors.
1.6% of Armenia’s GDP is spent on the healthcare sector; this ‘unacceptably low’ expenditure is endangering the country’s healthcare system especially in regards to mother and child health (MCH), keeping Armenia’s children and mothers vulnerable and risking their health.

One of the biggest issues in the healthcare financing sector is the fact that only 39% of the healthcare expenditure is covered by the state, while the rest is put on the population’s shoulder. This figure is especially threatening when considering that some 35% of Armenia’s population lives below the poverty line (according to the National Statistical Service of Armenia), and thus is often unable to pay for healthcare services and medicines.

Armenia’s Mother and Child Health Advocacy Alliance – the union of 44 NGOs actively working in the mother and child healthcare sector in Armenia, and initiated within World Vision Armenia Child Health Now campaign - promoted the importance of increasing mother and child healthcare financing in Armenia and enforcing the sector’s operation during a unique meeting with the country’s six major political parties running for the Parliamentary elections this May. World Vision Armenia, among the leading organizations of the Alliance, raised MCH burning issues in the country and gave stage to political party representatives to share pre-election platforms focusing on the improvement of the field.

“Armenia’s government allocated only 1.6% of country’s GDP to health sector in 2011, which is unacceptably low. 2012-2014 Mid-term Expenditure Framework indicates that the Government plans to reduce public healthcare expenditures from current 1.6% of GDP to 1.22% of GDP in 2014. And the resources to reach Government’s promise of at least 2.5% GDP expenditure is still not clear; the insertion of state medical insurance could be the solution to the major healthcare issues in Armenia,” said Artak Kyurumyan, financial expert for World Vision Armenia Child Health Now campaign, and Armenian Public Health Union representative. Mr. Kyurumyan also introduced alternative financing mechanisms (increased tobacco and alcohol taxes) that could significantly increase the state budget revenues if relevant legislative reforms are in place.

Lack of quality specialists has influenced the increased number of referrals to hospitals in the capital Yerevan; however, close examination of these referrals revealed that some 30% of those referred could have been treated in the regions if quality specialists were in place.

Increased budget allocation to maternal and child health from the state budget, including legislative reform to allow and regulate alternative health financing, the need for human resource capacity building, including workforce accessibility in the rural areas of the countries, as well as public health education, including promotion of healthy lifestyle, breastfeeding and proper nutrition – the Alliance has formulated the three big causes of mother and child healthcare system malfunctioning.

We have witnessed an unprecedented accountability and pledge by Armenia’s main political parties running for 2012 Parliament

“I believe any political power can never gain people’s trust unless we report back on what we have done so far. The society should be both raising these issues, and filtering the platforms and visions of the political parties to solve issues of national importance,” said Tamara Poghosyan, one of the leaders for Prosperous Armenia party, that currently has the second largest representation in the National Assembly.

“We have witnessed an unprecedented accountability and pledge by Armenia’s main political parties running for 2012 Parliament. We have heard their political platforms and can now keep them accountable when they are elected. The meeting also gave a chance to raise those issues that alliance considers of highest priority in the country,” said Naira Gharakhanyan, World Vision Armenia Child Health Now campaign manager.