Health Ministry, EU and UNICEF work to improve health service quality to children

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The official representatives of The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan (MoH), European Union (EU) Delegation and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted a joint visit to monitor the activities related to improvement of knowledge of health care professionals within the framework of the project “Improvement of Mother and Child Health Services, Phase II” (IMCHS II). Project implementation will contribute to improvement of quality of health care services, provided to hundreds of thousands mothers and children in Uzbekistan.

The delegation included the Head of Mother and Child Department of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, Mr. Saidmurad Ismailov, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Uzbekistan, His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Yuri Sterk, the UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Robert Fuderich, and the representatives of the Tashkent Region Health Department. The visit has been organized within the framework of activity of the Mother and Child Health Sector Coordination Council. The Council has been created last year to coordinate the activities of key partners. The Delegation monitored the training session which has been organized at the training center in the in the Tashkent Regional Children’s Multi Profile Medical Centre, in Chirchik town. This center is one of the 12 such training centers, established in the six regions covered by the IMCHS II project: Fergana, Bukhara, Khorezm, and Tashkent Regions, Tashkent city, and the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

“IMCHS II aims to bring systemic improvements to the quality of mother and child health services through improved health governance and capacity building of health professionals at different levels within the health care system,” said Mr. Saidmurad Ismailov.

The project, currently in its second phase (2012-2016), aims to provide technical assistance and financial support to the health care system of Uzbekistan.

To improve the knowledge of health care professionals in the field of highly efficient and economical mother and child health care interventions, and to improve their skills of utilization of modern medical equipment, the training manuals have been updated. The training materials cover the modern methods of treatment, including neonatal resuscitation, integrated management of childhood illnesses, breastfeeding, etc. Within the framework of the project, medical equipment will be purchased by the Delegation of the European Union.

"The European Union views the improvement of mother and child health care in the Republic of Uzbekistan as a high priority of cooperation with the Government and international development partners. We are pleased that the funding support provided by EU Member States is contributing to improve the lives of women and children at the community level,” said Ambassador Yuri Sterk on behalf of the EU.”

As of December 2013, more than 1900 health care professionals have been trained to improve their knowledge and skills in the field of mother and child health care: 1500 doctors and nurses, 300 national trainers, and 100 health care system managers. By 2015, training sessions such as the one in Chirchik town will be conducted for 11,000 health care professionals in other regions of the country.

“Experience tells us that it is not enough to train people. Those trained should be able to apply their knowledge. I am pleased to see today that this is actually happening on the ground, and more children and their families are benefitting from the improved quality of health services,” said UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan, Mr. Robert Fuderich. “We are extremely grateful to the EU for their generous support to this essential initiative,” he added.

The Project budget is 7,418,770 EURO wherein the European Commission’s contribution is 6,600,000 EURO; including 1,700,000 EURO in medical equipment. UNICEF’s contribution is 818,770 EURO.