The Heart of the Silk RoadThe Soviet Legacy After gaining independence in 1991 following the break up of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan experienced a severe economic depression. Subsequently, poverty increased and even now after steady economic progress during the 1990s, the World Bank estimates that 27.5% of the population are unable to meet basic consumption needs (source: Living Standards Assessment 2002). Those affected have difficulties in accessing basic health and educational services, whilst in rural areas particularly, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are inadequate or often not available at all. In such socio-economic conditions, vulnerability to malnutrition, poverty and maternal and childhood illnesses is increased. UNICEF in Uzbekistan UNICEF began working with the Government of Uzbekistan in 1994, following an approach based upon the government’s signing and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Since ratification, legislative and administrative steps have been taken to bring state policy and legislation on women and children in line with the CRC and CEDAW, whilst a National Plan of Action on CRC implementation and development of national monitoring and evaluation systems to assess actions have been developed. UNICEF and its partners’ priorities reflect the Millennium Development Goals and the outcomes of the UN Special Session on Children in 2002 which set out the conditions for “A World Fit for Children”. UNICEF aims to empower families and communities through a rights-based approach that considers all social and economic factors that have a bearing on a child’s survival, development, protection and participation. Health and Nutrition The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) remains high and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) shows an increasing trend. Links between the deteriorating conditions of children’s and women’s health and the quality of ante/peri-natal services, together with the low level of knowledge of families in managing pregnancy and detecting early childhood illness, are thought to be the cause. Poor nutrition is another major health issue for women and children, with high rates of iodine deficiency disorder (IDD), iron-deficiency anemia, a major contributing factor to maternal mortality, and vitamin A deficiency. However, immunization coverage of over 90% has been maintained and Uzbekistan is certified as polio free, two significant achievements in the country. A National Action Plan has been developed to address health issues, whilst documents have been signed with the World Bank (WB) to continue support of the primary health care reform initiative and with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to improve the efficiency of the health care delivery system for woman and child health. Education With 56% of the population under 25 years of age, education is critical to the development of Uzbekistan. The major challenges are in improving the quality of education in terms of content and teaching methods and establishing a more equitable allocation of resources. In 2004 a Presidential Decree was issued for the period 2004-9 aimed at reforming the education system, with resolutions to improve teaching and educational standards and to provide incentives to teachers. Child Protection Following recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the government, with UNICEF support, are reviewing existing policies and practices in relation to children with disabilities and other institutionalized children. In recent years there have also been significant increases in street children and recorded cases of child trafficking. The latter is not widely recognized as an issue by the government and the official figures are likely to be underestimated. To address the concern over the number of children in institutions, policy developments include the establishment of a National Coordination Council and drafting of new laws offering greater protection and security to children without parental care. Measures are also being taken to improve the juvenile justice system, for example, in establishing a youth court, creating a ‘child-friendly environment’, which covers police stations, courts and institutions; and through the introduction of new legislation on penal systems and institutions. HIV/AIDS Drug abuse is a major issue for Uzbekistan, particularly in view of its geographical proximity to Afghanistan. The number of injecting heroin users has risen dramatically and this has also led to a spread of HIV/AIDS through the practice of reuse and sharing of syringes, together with unsafe sexual practices. Although HIV/AIDS prevalence is low in numerical terms, the number of new infections is rising rapidly in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, threatening to have “devastating consequences on health and development” according to the World Bank. In response, a national HIV/AIDS strategy and a national programme have been introduced.
|
