Mongolia's Public Spending On Noncommunicable Diseases Is Similar To The Spending Of Higher-Income Countries

Although there is increased recognition of the global challenge posed by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), translating that awareness into resources for action requires better data than typically available in low- and middle-income countries. One middle-income country that does have good-quality information is Mongolia. Using detailed administrative data from Mongolia and supplementary survey-based information, we estimated public spending on four NCDs in Mongolia and reached four main conclusions. First, Mongolia's public spending patterns on NCDs are similar to NCD spending observed in countries with much higher per capita incomes. Second, public spending for NCDs is low relative to the NCD disease burden in Mongolia. Third, public-sector NCD spending is dominated by inpatient care and hospital-based specialist outpatient services, which suggests inefficiency in resource use. Finally, while public spending on cardiovascular disease is evenly distributed across regions, for cancers it is heavily concentrated in the nation's capital.