Empowering Health Care Consumers in Europe and Eurasia: Final Report (October 2008)

C-Change conducted an assessment at the request of USAID's Europe and Eurasia Bureau (E&E) to document the experience of E&E countries in motivating health care consumers to take more responsibility for their health, and to recommend how the Bureau and other donors could make their assistance more effective in this area. The team visited Kyrgyzstan, Albania, and Armenia, three countries representing three distinct geographical regions within the E&E region. Europe and Eurasia health care systems are struggling to address the enormous burden of both infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries, which account for 85 percent of adult mortality in the region. This requires a much more active role on the part of health care consumers and changes in their behaviors as the vast majority of these non-communicable diseases stem from lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol use, diet and exercise. The report provides recommendations for governments and development organizations to consider.