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Official Launch opens landmark Mother and child heathcare reform programme in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, 27th of October 2008. The Government of Uzbekistan, UNICEF and the European Commission officially launched a new landmark project in which hundreds of thousands of mothers and children across Uzbekistan will directly benefit from improved maternal and child health care

Panelists address the Media. From left: M. Shareef, UNICEF Representative. F. Nazirov, Minister of Health of Uzbekistan and H. Pernet, French Ambassador to Uzbekistan – representing the EU Presidency.

Press releases

Speeches:

Minister of health
Deputy Minister of health
Ambassador of France
UNICEF representative

Launch photo gallery
Factsheets
Q&A’S

H.E. Mr. Feruz Nazirov, the Minister of Health, opened the meeting which was also attended by a group of EU ambassadors and Mr. Mahboob Shareef, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan.

“As a result of the project, more then 8,000 medical workers will be trained. This will lead to subsequent improvement of mother and child care in every province of the country,” said Mr. Feruz  Nazirov, Health Minister in Uzbekistan at a press launch which took place in Tashkent’s international business centre.  He expressed appreciation to the EC representatives and confirmed the Ministry’s firm commitment to the project.

The agreement on the project was sealed on July 16th 2008 between the Government of Uzbekistan (GoU), the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Since then partner organizations have worked together in fine tuning the programme activities to fit the countries needs.  The project budget amounts to almost 6 million US$. Thee EC is providing 5.5 million US$ and UNICEF 450 thousands US$. The programme is the skills of healthcare staff in emergency care during childbirth, plus newborn and childcare in maternity wards, polyclinics and primary healthcare facilities across the nation.

“Mothers, the newborn and children represent the well being of society and meeting their needs is best investment for the prosperous future of the whole of society. Very soon many more of Uzbekistan’s children will be offered the safe start in life that every child needs and deserves’” said Mr. Mahboob Shareef, UNICEF Representative.

Improving skills to save more lives at the Ferghana pre-natal clinic

The challenge is to ensure children have access to a continuum of health care, backed by strong national health systems.

“The EC is delighted to be part of this groundbreaking program, with many thousands of mothers and children set to directly benefit. This is fully in-line with our developing relationship with Uzbekistan and it highlights our firm commitment to development in this country and the wider Central Asian region,” said Mr. Hugues Pernet, the Ambassador of France to Uzbekistan.