Rustam Haydarov is a new UNICEF Representative in Belarus

Rustam Haydarov was appointed as UNICEF Representative in Belarus in September 2022. Mr. Haydarov has over 20 years of experience, most of which is with UNICEF across countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. 

Prior to the appointment, Mr. Haydarov worked at UNICEF Headquarters leading a communication portfolio for polio vaccination and eradication as well as advancing the organizational agenda on social and behavioural communication. From 2013 to 2016, Mr. Haydarov served as Regional Adviser for Eastern and Southern Africa leading UNICEF response to the Horn of Africa polio outbreak in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan.

Mr. Haydarov managed communication for development programmes in Pakistan from 2011 to 2013 tackling vaccine hesitancy and building partnerships with the private sector, foundations and influencers that helped reaching over 110 million caregivers and vaccinate millions of children against polio and other vaccine preventable diseases.

Rustam Haydarov started his career in his home country Uzbekistan focusing on public health communication and emergency response to epidemics and natural disasters. Throughout his career, Mr. Haydarov was deployed to several countries to support emergencies and onset crises. He also worked for the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA and Institute for Academic Alliances at the Kansas State University. 

Mr. Haydarov holds master’s degree in health communication, behavioral science, psychology and applied research from A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications in USA as well as master’s and bachelor’s degree in international studies and global diplomacy from the Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies.

Rustam Haydarov has undergone UNICEF and external leadership and management training, and a recipient of the Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship (2008-2010). Mr. Haydarov is fluent in Russian, Uzbek and English.