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Uzbekistan launches report on MICS 2006 survey

Boy in Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, 30 August 2007 – Today, the Government of Uzbekistan launched the report of 2006 MICS survey, which was conducted by the Republican Committee on statistics with technical support of UNICEF and UNFPA. The main objectives of the survey were to provide up-to-date information for assessing the situation of children and women in Uzbekistan; to furnish data needed for monitoring progress toward goals established in the Millennium Development Goals, the goals of A World Fit for Children. New figures show that Uzbekistan made a progress in providing better education, health and protection services, and still more work to be done.

“To monitor progress towards achieving these goals, 48 indicators were developed. MICS are used to help the countries monitor towards the internationally agreed goal. The MICS facilitate collection and analyses of information on 20 out 48 indicators. This is largest single source of data for monitoring MDG,” said UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan, Reza Hossaini.

The meeting was well attended by representatives of the different ministries, government agencies, international organization and mass media. The deputy head of the State Statistical committee made the presentation, highlighting major findings of the survey.

The significance of this launch led by the representative of the Cabinet of Minister is that for the first time the Government of Uzbekistan has put its stamp on IMR of 48 and U5MR of 57. it is also the first time that the government has officially given statistics on child malnutrition rate and in fact, it is the first time the report of a national household survey is published jointly by government and UN.

Uzbekistan launches report on MICS 2006 survey

Some of the figures from MICS 2006.

Child mortality

The infant mortality rate is estimated at 48 per thousand, while the probability of dying under-5 mortality rate is 57 per thousand.

Breastfeeding

26 percent of children aged less than six months are exclusively breastfed.

Immunization

Overall, 96 percent of children age under-5 had health cards recording their vaccines.
The percentage of children who had all eight recommended vaccinations before the age of 12 months is high at 81 percent.

Pre-School Attendance and School Readiness

Nearly 20 percent of children aged 36-59 months are attending pre-school.

Nutritional Status

Fifteen percent of children are stunted or too short for their age and four percent are severely stunted.

Salt Iodization

In 53 percent of households in Uzbekistan, salt was found to contain 15 PPM or more of iodine,

Knowledge of HIV Transmission

Of the interviewed women, 48 percent reject the two most common misconceptions and know that a healthy-looking person can be infected.

The results of MICS have showed existing trends in the country and will significantly contribute to evidence-based policy making. The MICS also includes new indicators targeting areas that had gaps in information, such as children with disabilities or attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. This new initial baseline will be vital to the Government when deciding on priority actions and targeted budget allocations.

About the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS)

The MICS in Uzbekistan was carried out by the Committee on statistics of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Financial and technical support was provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The survey was conducted as part of a series being carried out around the world in close to 50 countries. The Uzbekistan MICS figures will also play a crucial role in the achievement of important national goals established by the Uzbekistan National Plan of Action for Children.

Additional information on the global MICS project can be found on the website: http://www.childinfo.org.

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:

Bobur Turdiev, Communication Officer. Tel: 99893-3873903, email: bturdiev@unicef.org
Djamila de Vaulgranant, MICS focal point. Tel. 133 95 12? 133 97 35