Health in Mongolia

The Ministry of Health, aimag and Capital Health Departments, family health centers, soum and village health centers, general hospitals and specialized hospitals share responsibility for health services in Mongolia. An aimag is a province, and a soum is a rural administrative district. In urban areas, the Family Health Center, called Өрхийн эрүүл мэндийн төв locally, provides the usual first contact. In rural areas, a soum or village health center provides primary care, sometimes supported by bag-level outreach, mobile services, community health workers and mobile health tools. Local Health Departments determine catchment areas and the service scope of local facilities. Mongolian citizens select a local family doctor, and people in rural areas may select a nearby soum or village doctor where the local system permits it. Primary care covers health promotion, prevention, risk monitoring, early detection, diagnosis, vaccination, treatment, home care and day care. The usual referral sequence is a family, soum or village doctor, followed when needed by an aimag, district, general or specialized hospital. Referral information and feedback support continuity between facilities. Direct hospital access is permitted for an accident or injury, a life-threatening condition or another urgent situation. Obstetric care may begin at a primary-care facility and continue at a maternity unit, general hospital or specialized hospital, depending on the clinical situation. Emergency patients should use the nearest suitable facility. Ambulance services use 103, while 101 is the fire service, 102 is the police service and 105 is the emergency response number. The National Center for Communicable Diseases also uses 100 for communicable-disease emergencies. Prevention is a major part of health care in Mongolia. The national immunization schedule includes routine childhood vaccines and protection against hepatitis A and pneumococcal disease. Mongolia introduced a national HPV vaccination program in 2024 with one dose for girls and boys aged 11; more than 177,000 children aged 11 to 14 had been vaccinated by the first quarter of 2026. Cervical screening with a Pap smear is free every three years for women aged 30 to 60. The reported screening strategy also includes HPV-DNA testing at ages 30 and 40. The Maternal and Child Health Book records relevant child health and vaccination information, and catch-up campaigns can help when routine vaccinations were missed. Health needs differ across Mongolia. Non-communicable diseases account for about 83% of deaths in the WHO profile, with cardiovascular disease at about 44% and cancer at about 18%. Liver, stomach, cervical and lung cancers are among the reported cancer burdens. Tobacco and electronic cigarettes, winter air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, unsafe water and sanitation, and climate-related health effects require prevention and early detection. Tuberculosis remains a high-burden disease, with reported incidence of about 446 cases per 100,000 people in 2024 and around 1,000 multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant cases. The 2025 to 2028 tuberculosis strategy shifts away from a mainly centralized dispensary model toward screening, diagnosis and treatment integrated into primary care. The National Center for Communicable Diseases provides vaccination and communicable-disease services. Mental health services include psychiatric medication, psychotherapy, psychosocial rehabilitation and physical rehabilitation. The National Center for Mental Health in Ulaanbaatar accepts appointments Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 15:00 at 70150520-2 and provides 24-hour emergency assistance at 70150520-1. Access to specialist mental health care can be difficult outside major centers. Remote care remains limited by connectivity and other practical barriers. By the end of 2024, more than 92% of 328 soum centers were expected to have mHealth equipment, but equipment availability does not remove every barrier to consultation or follow-up. Medicines are obtained from licensed pharmacies and should be registered medicines supplied according to the applicable prescription rules. The Health Insurance Fund, commonly referred to as ЭМД, provides discounts for selected medicines and covered services rather than making every medicine free. The Health Development Center price and pharmacy-location portal is available at em.hdc.gov.mn. Patients should check the medicine name, availability, price, prescription requirement and reimbursement status before purchase. Prices and stock can differ between pharmacies and localities. The Health Insurance General Agency, or ЭМДЕГ, handles relevant insurance information and complaints. Mandatory health insurance covers Mongolian citizens and specified foreign or stateless categories defined by law. Children aged 0 to 18, people receiving only a pension, students, herders, low-income welfare groups, parents caring for a child under two years and other statutory groups have specific coverage arrangements. Insured people generally use contracted providers for covered care. Visitors and other foreigners can obtain emergency care, while routine access and payment eligibility depend on their legal status, provider and current rules. Public primary care financing combines state-budget funding with Health Insurance Fund case-based elements. The state and insurance fund finance ambulance, emergency and defined obstetric services according to applicable law, while additional or non-covered services may require direct payment. Tariffs, appointment times, reimbursement and eligibility vary by locality, provider, contract and current resolution. Patients have the right to safe, equal, accessible and quality care, information about coverage and a receipt for direct payments. Complaints can be submitted to the provider, the Health Insurance General Agency or the National Health Insurance Council. Electronic premium and service records can help verify insurance information. People who are liable for premiums have a duty to pay them and declare income accurately, and patients are expected to follow lawful provider or inspector requirements, comply with referral arrangements and cooperate with follow-up care. After treatment, a discharge plan should identify medicines, repeat tests, warning signs, referrals and the provider responsible for follow-up. Available continuing-care services include home care, day treatment, nursing, palliative care, rehabilitation and sanatorium treatment. Rehabilitation may involve rehabilitation doctors, movement therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and psychotherapists. Tuberculosis treatment also depends on adherence and community support. National health indicators reported for 2024 included life expectancy of 71.8 years, infant mortality of 12.2 per 1,000 live births, maternal mortality of 22.5 per 100,000 live births, under-five mortality of 15.2 per 1,000 children, about 3,040 hospitalizations per 10,000 people and 7.2 outpatient visits per person. Actual access depends strongly on distance, weather, facility capacity, insurance status and the availability of medicines or specialists.