Uzbekistan faces significant challenges in oncology care – the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Limited availability and affordability of modern oncology treatments have led to disparities in the quality of care, especially in rural and remote areas. Access to specialized oncology care is inadequate, and healthcare professionals in these regions often lack the training needed to operate advanced medical equipment.

Additionally, public awareness about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment options is low, hindering efforts to improve patient outcomes. There is also a critical need to expand medical care coverage for women of reproductive age, particularly for the early detection of precancerous lesions to improve treatment results and survival rates.

To address these issues, UNOPS has partnered with the government of Uzbekistan in a project financed by an Islamic Development Bank-loan. The project aims to enhance access to and the quality of oncology services across 13 regions and the capital, Tashkent, by procuring and installing diagnostic, treatment, laboratory, radiological and ICT equipment.

“Close interaction and cooperation between our teams of experts significantly enhanced our preliminary technical specifications for the entire list of equipment. As a result, we were able to purchase high-quality equipment at affordable prices,” added Professor Tillashaykhov.

So far, UNOPS has delivered over $41 million worth of equipment, including advanced diagnostic and radiotherapy equipment as well as various other medical and IT devices. By the end of 2024, an additional $18 million worth of equipment will be delivered, including state-of-the-art body mapping equipment and other specialized technology.

The project is set to modernize oncology care in Uzbekistan. It aims to provide over 150,000 cancer patients with access to quality oncology services annually. This includes swift and accurate cancer detection, targeted therapies and personalized care, ultimately reducing unnecessary procedures and improving patient recovery times. The initiative is expected to increase daily outpatient clinical services by 40 per cent and enhance in-patient services by 20 per cent.

“In this project, UNOPS undertook the significant challenge of procuring and swiftly delivering over 140 items of modern medical equipment from around the world and distributing them to various locations throughout Uzbekistan,” said Jamshid Rakhmonov, UNOPS Uzbekistan Portfolio Specialist.

“These efforts showcase UNOPS strengths in procurement and project management and our commitment to supporting the government's efforts to expand access to quality healthcare across the country,” he added.