Issues and impact
A widespread shortage of essential medicines and basic equipment, due to the continued deterioration of social services, remains a major concern in DPR Korea. Local production and importation of drugs has almost completely ceased. Simple equipment is either not in place or is over thirty years old. Knowledge and skills of staff need to be upgraded. Furthermore, continued high rates of maternal mortality caused by a deteriorating health system that is finding it increasingly difficult to deliver good services and manage emergency referrals is another major issue in DPR Korea. UNICEF’s health services projects aim to strengthen the health system’s capacity to address the most common causes of mortality in children and women. The Immunization plus project facilitates the conduct of regular immunization of infants and pregnant women nationwide, including the elimination of neonatal tetanus. Special attention is given to strengthening the cold chain, improved injection safety, expanded disease surveillance and extending cooperation with other potential sources of funding for sustainability of immunization. Although the national immunization days (NIDs) for polio eradication ceased at the end of 2002, the project continues to operate national child health days for vitamin A supplementation and deworming of young children.
The maternal and child health project, in which UNICEF collaborates with WHO, UNFPA and IFRC, is improving the quality of health services available to children and women. Support includes training for health personnel, including section doctors, the production of relevant manuals and the appropriate supply of equipment. The maternal and child health project operates mostly in the 10 focus counties/districts in order to garner experience for the overall national health policy. Pregnant women in these areas now have access to emergency obstetric care, which is expected to reduce the maternal mortality rate. The project also provides support for the rehabilitation of severely malnourished children in all 12 provincial paediatric hospitals. All of this is underpinned by the continuing support for the provision and distribution of essential medicines, which treats millions of children for simple yet life threatening illnesses, including diarrhoea and pneumonia. As in the past, the focus is on the continuity of supply, adjusting the range of medicines to available funding and assuring necessary improvements in in-country logistics. In order to begin to foster greater sustainability, the project facilitates cooperation for the restoration of the country’s capacity to produce the most essential drugs locally. Key results sought are that:
National child health days
Focus counties/districts
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