Armenian health authorities cut list of dangerous diseases, expert warns

Armenia’s Ministry of Health has sharply reduced the number of infectious diseases classified as posing a danger to the public, prompting criticism.

Anush Poghosyan, President of the Right to Health NGO, says the list has been cut from 34 diseases to just nine, a move she argues significantly weakens the state’s responsibility to prevent and control outbreaks.

Diseases previously on the list required mandatory state action, including early detection and registration, epidemiological investigations, isolation and treatment of infected patients, monitoring and quarantine of contacts, free or state-funded care, vaccination measures, laboratory support and public communication.

Poghosyan warns that removing diseases from the list means these obligations may no longer apply, limiting government intervention and undermining guarantees of free treatment and comprehensive epidemiological oversight.

“This is not healthcare reform,” she wrote on Facebook. on Friday. “It is a withdrawal from responsibility at the expense of public health.”