Opportunities for U.S. MedTech Companies in Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Kazakhstan

Estimated at $4.8 billion in 2020, the Russian medical device market is one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe.  As of 2019, Russia, with a population of 146 million, possessed just over 5,000 hospitals and just over 1.1 million hospital beds, as well as performed 1.5 million surgeries.  The Russian medical facilities prefer to purchase medical devices from foreign manufacturers.  In 2019, the U.S. was the second leading importer with 16.6% market share and supplied a quarter of orthopedics and prosthetics and over 15% of diagnostic imaging equipment, other medical devices, and patient aids.  While the pandemic has had a negative impact on the market, it has also led to some needed reforms such as speedier registration for some types of medical devices.

Turkey has one of the most advanced healthcare markets in Europe, in terms of service delivery and advanced technologies. Besides its own population of 83 million, prior to COVID-19, the country attracted close to one million international patients. Turkey enjoys near universal coverage utilizing 970 public and 550 private hospitals. The medical device market reached $1.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2025. While indigenous manufacturing is growing, imports account for 80% of its medical devices market with the U.S. taking the lead. Since 2015, Turkey replaced 20% of its 250,000 hospital beds and furnished its facilities with the latest imaging, radiation therapy and robotics surgery technologies. Turkish hospitals house 40,000 ICU beds, 950 MRI’s, and 1,200 CT’s.

The Ukrainian medical device market, estimated at $661.7 million as of 2020, has experienced significant growth over the last several years. While COVID-19 negatively impacted the market in 2020, a series of health finance reforms, the country’s wide-ranging hospital sector, an ongoing World Bank support program, and the Ministry of Health’s expansion plans for rural areas, all expect to contribute to substantial market growth in 2021 and beyond.  Recent programs have sought to retool facilities in priority areas for healthcare delivery, such as in imaging, radiation, and robotics surgery technologies.  Primary and emergency care facilities in pilot regions have also been retooled for future needs.  As the domestic industry remains developing and with limited resources, currently up to 80% of medical equipment is imported, providing numerous opportunities for exporters.

With a population of 19 million, Kazakhstan dedicates approximately 4% of its GDP and just under $7 billion of the healthcare budget. The government has prioritized developing healthcare networks, improving health administration, expanding medical training, and enhancing maternal health services.  It has also focused on preventive medicine such as diagnostics, treating lifestyle diseases, enhancing patient rehabilitation, and developing personalized medicine.  The Government’s targets under its Healthcare Development Program include increasing mean life to 75 years, reducing premature mortality from diabetes and cardiovascular, oncological, and respiratory diseases, and maternal/child mortality. The local medical market totals appr. $1.3 billion and 40% of currently used equipment is obsolete. Local production is insignificant with 90% of devices being exported; 90% of equipment is purchased by the public sector through the state tenders.