ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$225 million loan—its largest health sector investment in Mongolia—to expand access to quality health care across the country’s provinces through major upgrades in health infrastructure, emergency care, digital health systems, medical equipment, and workforce capacity.

The project will improve access to life-saving and specialized health services for more than half of Mongolia’s provincial population by 2031. It will modernize 19 provincial hospitals, including the construction of a new 300-bed hospital in Uvurkhangai Province, and equip them with advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other complex health conditions. The project will also establish 11 new soum (subdistrict) health centers along major highways and border crossing points.

"For many families in the provinces, specialized care today can mean a journey of hundreds of kilometers—a distance that delays diagnosis and adds immense financial strain," said ADB Country Director for Mongolia John Juhyun Jeong. "This project changes that equation, bringing stronger hospitals and health centers, faster emergency and specialist services, and modern technology closer to home for people across Mongolia."

Despite recent progress, significant disparities in health care access persist between Ulaanbaatar and the provinces. The capital accounts for 66% of the country’s hospital bed capacity, forcing many rural residents to travel long distances for specialized care, often at high cost and with delays in diagnosis and treatment. With noncommunicable diseases accounting for 73% of nationwide deaths and rural health centers constrained by weak infrastructure and limited resources, investments to strengthen provincial health services is critical to improving health outcomes and saving lives. 

The project will upgrade health facilities through the expansion of emergency departments, new trauma and intensive care units, modern operating theaters, ambulances, and advanced medical and diagnostic equipment. Health facilities will be designed to better meet the distinct needs of women and men, helping ensure more accessible, tailored, and responsive care.

The project will enhance health system coordination and efficiency and strengthen regional health service delivery through expanded telemedicine services and the introduction of digital referral systems linking provincial hospitals with tertiary hospitals in Ulaanbaatar. Capacity-building activities for health care workers will enable provincial hospitals to deliver a wider range of services and treat complex illnesses closer to where patients live.

It will also strengthen Mongolia's emergency medical protocols and preparedness for disaster-related health emergencies, including dzuds, floods, and heatwaves through investments in resilient infrastructure and emergency response systems. These investments will help ensure that essential health services remain available during increasingly frequent extreme weather events.