Every February, the world observes World Cancer Day. Cancer remains a leading cause of death both globally and in Uzbekistan. According to WHO data, over 30,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the country. By 2045, this figure is projected to rise by nearly 72%, reaching approximately 61,000 cases—a trend that poses significant challenges for the national healthcare system.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has made visible progress in strengthening its cancer care infrastructure. Government policy has been strategically focused on prioritising early detection. Under the “Uzbekistan–2030” strategy, the government aims to achieve a 2.5-fold reduction in premature cancer mortality. A cornerstone of this effort has been the comprehensive modernisation of medical facilities. Furthermore, the country has implemented nationwide free screening programmes for breast and cervical cancer, alongside initiatives to improve tumour detection at early stages. As a result, the number of diagnosed cases, including those identified early, has increased.

However, ensuring patients’ access to effective and innovative therapy remains a critical unresolved issue. Budget analysis reveals that the expansion of early diagnostic programmes has not been accompanied by a comparable increase in access to the necessary treatment.

Funding for oncology care remains a limited share of the overall healthcare budget. In recent years, oncology has accounted for between 2.4% and 4% of the Ministry of Health's total spending. In absolute terms, funding ranged from $11.1 million in 2023 to $16.1 million in 2025. The bulk of these funds was directed towards infrastructure development, modernisation of cancer centres, and expanding diagnostic capabilities.

Expenditure on drug therapy represents a significantly smaller share. Public procurement data indicates that approximately $3.8 million was allocated for cancer drugs in 2024. These purchases covered medications for a range of common cancers, as well as supportive care drugs to manage side effects. Estimates suggest this level of funding covers fewer than 1,000 adult patients per year.

This creates a dangerous paradox: the diagnosis is confirmed, yet the capacity to treat it is lacking. While state programmes following the principle "Early Diagnosis Saves Lives" successfully identify patients, chronic underfunding of medicines deprives many of timely care. Consequently, after the doctor’s verdict, a significant portion of patients are left without necessary treatment, lacking access to modern, state-funded therapy. As a result, successes in diagnostics are not yet translating into a consistent decline in mortality or improved survival rates.

Meanwhile, global medical capabilities have shifted significantly due to scientific advances in recent decades. Alongside chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immunotherapy are now widely used and highly effective, particularly when cancer is detected early. In Uzbekistan, however, state funding covers only a limited list of targeted and hormonal drugs. Open procurement data shows that only five types of medicines were purchased to treat various cancers, including lung, breast, prostate, kidney, cervical, and colorectal cancer.

Kazakhstan serves as an example of how these challenges can be addressed, having significantly increased spending in this area. In 2023–2024, its annual oncology budget was approximately $275–296 million, with about 40% allocated to drug therapy. This represents a 24-fold difference compared to Uzbekistan, despite Uzbekistan having a population larger by 15 million people.

Evidently, Uzbekistan's cancer care system is structurally skewed towards diagnostics, while treatment remains chronically underfunded. As detection rates rise, this imbalance signifies a widening systemic gap rather than progress: the number of patients with confirmed diagnoses increases, yet access to modern therapy for the majority remains restricted. Without a massive expansion of drug coverage, early diagnosis ceases to be a life-saving tool and instead becomes a problem for which the state has no solution.

In the coming years, the global oncological arsenal will expand with new technologies, including CAR-T cell therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and other high-tech modalities. These innovations have the potential to radically reduce cancer mortality. The main challenge will be securing funding and building an efficient drug provision system. Without this, the gap between modern medicine and patients’ access to it will continue to grow, and the opportunity to save more lives will be lost.