Since 2020, Oxford Policy Management has been supporting the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to improve the accessibility and quality of primary health care (PHC) services through the independent verification of Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs) under the World Bank–supported Primary Health Care Quality Improvement Program (PHCQIP). Despite substantial progress in the last two decades, PHC in the Kyrgyz Republic continues to face persistent challenges, particularly in rural and underserved areas, including gaps in service delivery, variability in service quality, and financial barriers hampering utilization. Strengthening PHC is therefore critical to expanding access, improving quality of care, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, and achieving equitable health outcomes across the population. The verification employs a mixed-methods approach, including primary and secondary data collection and analysis, key informant interviews, and reviews of digital systems, to assess indicators critical to the success of PHCQIP. These indicators include revisions to the State Guaranteed Benefits Package (SGBP); enhancements to PHC payment mechanisms; price regulation of pharmaceuticals included in the SGBP; progress toward quality-of-care targets; and provision of laboratory services for pregnant women and patients with diabetes, among others. Verification findings are shared annually with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kyrgyz Republic and reviewed and approved by the World Bank and the joint financiers of PHCQIP. The findings not only inform World Bank disbursement decisions but also enable the MoH to identify implementation weaknesses (including programmatic and structural challenges) and introduce timely course-correction measures, thereby accelerating program outcomes and impact.

Tata Chanturidze is a medical doctor, with a master’s degree in Public Health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, USA. She currently serves as Health Practice Lead at Oxford Policy Management (UK), a global development consultancy, where she leads and advises on health systems strengthening initiatives across LMICs. Previously, she served as Vice Minister of Health of Georgia, playing a key role in national health policy reform and transformation. Dr. Chanturidze is a published author of more than ten peer-reviewed articles and books in leading international journals and publications.