TCHS and Ministry of Health Host Discussion on Healthcare Reforms
YEREVAN, Armenia – On April 2, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia and the American University of Armenia (AUA) Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (TCHS), organized an event titled “Redefining Healthcare in Armenia,” discussing major reforms in Armenia’s healthcare system. The event aimed to share insights on the impact the current changes in the system have on public health, nursing, and medical communities.
The Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan (LL.M. ’04) presented the major health reforms and responded to many questions from students from different programs, including the Master of Public Health, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Master of Public Affairs, and the Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance. She spoke about new initiatives and challenges that the Ministry is facing while implementing these changes. Minister Avanesyan also gave advice to AUA students on how to pursue their current goals and on their journey after graduation. The First Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan (MPH ’05), researchers, faculty, staff, and alumni were also present.
The discussion covered topics from mental health to specialty clinical care and public health, reform history and initiation, future plans and strategies related to major health policy revisions, and how these changes may involve the public health experts, physicians, and BSN nurses. A few questions were about the universal health insurance implementation, an important initiative to substantially improve access to medically needed care and enhance financial risk protection of the population from catastrophic health spending.
Minister Avanesyan has over 20 years of experience in legal, regulatory, and governance roles across both public and private sectors. She was appointed the minister of health in January 2021, following her roles as first deputy minister and deputy minister starting 2018. Specialized in legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly in pharmaceuticals, she previously served as director and board member of a pharmaceutical company. Earlier in her career, she held legal advisory roles in several public institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Reserve Agency. She is also actively engaged with NGOs, supporting women’s rights and participation in governance. Avanesyan holds a master’s degree in law from Yerevan State University and earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from AUA.
The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.
