Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 15 / Trend U. Ismayilova /
Every year the volume of budgetary financing of health services is increased in Azerbaijan the Ministry of Health said on the basis of an expanded meeting of the Ministry's board. If 59 million manat was allocated in 2003 to finance health care, in 2009 this figure was increased eight times - up to 502 million manat. But the budget has grown by 50 percent in 2008.
Hospitals have been eliminated within structural reforms in the health sector. They were actually inactive. It led to reduction of hospital beds. Last year, structural changes have been completed. The most important point is the lack of redundancy in the health sector, while the fund of hospital beds declined last year to 50-55 percent. The number of hospitals reduced by 50 percent.
In 2009 Azerbaijan held construction, repair work in more than 60 medical institutions. Realization of adopted state programs was also continued in 2009. About 50 million manat was allocated for their execution and 47 million manat in 2008. As part of preventive work carried out due to 2009 declared as the Year of the Child, the infant mortality rate in Azerbaijan declined from 12 pro mil in 2003 to 11.4 pro mil per 1,000 people. The maternal mortality rate declined from 26.1 to 24.3 ppm.
As a part of the program for diabetes, deaths from the disease decreased from 21.7 to 9.2 (per 100,000 people). Deaths from Thalassemia in 2009 fell to 21 from 73 in 2003 per 100,000 people.
Last year, the number of food poisoning have decreased by 40 percent.
As a result of measures to prevent the virus "swine flu" (A/H1N1), about 2,772 laboratory analysis were held in the anti-plague laboratory. As a result, 14 facts of virus infection were revealed. All patients fully recovered.
Azerbaijani Minister of Health Oktay Shiraliyev admitted events undertaken in recent years very successful. He stressed the need to eliminate negative facts in the health system.