Hypertension and Diabetes Care in Azerbaijan: A Mixed Methods Cascade Analysis

World Bank

Hypertension and Diabetes Care in Azerbaijan: A Mixed Methods Cascade Analysis

Autores

World Bank

Editor

Washington, DC: World Bank

Descripción

Azerbaijan is at a critical juncture in its development journey towards universal health coverage. Reforms of the health financing and organization of the health system have aimed to increase efficiency and progress towards equal access to health services, financial protection, and quality. Key health indicators have shown improvements in the last two decades. However, the population of approximately 10.5 million faces a mounting challenge posed by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Among these, diabetes and hypertension stand out as significant contributors to the nation’s health burden. Nearly 1 in 3 adults has hypertension (30 percent), and approximately 7 percent have diabetes. This burden is further aggravated by high prevalence levels of NCD risk factors. For instance, 21 percent of adults are obese, and 55 percent are overweight or obese. The cost of managing diabetes and hypertension, including medication, monitoring, hospitalization, and associated complications, poses a considerable financial burden on individuals, families, and the healthcare system. As a step towards strengthening NCD care and addressing the burden, a cascade analysis was conducted in Azerbaijan in 2023–2024 to enhance the understanding of the coverage, quality, and continuity of care for diabetes and hypertension. This report presents the results of an analysis of NCD care provision and outcomes among hypertension and diabetes patients, a technical assistance activity provided by the World Bank to the Azerbaijan health sector. It documents findings of the two research phases of the analysis, one which assessed the care cascades using existing medical record data of patients, and the other, which comprised primary data collection with qualitative methods. The study was motivated by the State Mandatory Insurance Agency’s interest in monitoring the care pathways of patients with hypertension and diabetes, and in gaining a better understanding of the care currently provided under the health insurance scheme.