Health for Every Mother and Child
UNICEF supports the government in enhancing the quality of healthcare services for mothers and children in Tajikistan through its partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF)
The Baljuvon District Health Center is a single storey building in the south of Tajikistan surrounded by hills. Despite its small capacity, this health center provides a wide range of services: vaccination for children, otolaryngologist, pediatric unit, reproductive health consultations and dental services for more than thirty thousand inhabitants, out of which five thousand are children under 5 years old.
This morning, the center’s young family doctors and family nurses gather around to examine the newly delivered medical kits for doctors which will serve them as a one-stop-shop and enable them to provide high-quality services even in the most rural and remote areas of the country.
Each kit contains 40 essential items such as stethoscope, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, laryngoscope resuscitator, doppler to check babies’ heartbeats, surgical instruments and other crucial medical items.
All items comply with the highest European standards and were purchased through the ‘Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health’ project which is co-implemented by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and UNICEF in four districts of the country, including Baljuvon.
The project is funded under the LLF of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and partners including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, and the Qatar Fund for Development.
Motivated and equipped to provide quality services
Meanwhile, Mr. Saidjaffar Ibrokhimov, a young family doctor and Mrs. Savsan Temurova, one of the family nurses are getting prepared to visit one of the local families in Baljuvon. Today, they plan to check on the health and development of Shukriya, a 4-month-old baby.
The ‘Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health’ project provided Saidjaffar and Savsan with a six-month intensive medical course thanks to which they are now providing higher quality services to mothers and children in their district.
After leaving the health center, Saidjaffar and Savsan walk a few kilometers to reach the Shukriya family’s house. Even in winter, the family doctors and nurses in this area walk long distances to ensure they visit all families in their district.
Shukriya is the youngest and third child in the family. According to her dad, she is on exclusive breastfeeding and is already teething.
During the visit, Doctor Saidjaffar checks her heartbeat and breathing, examines her ears, eyes and her motor skills. He and Savsan also provide counselling to the father and mother on the importance of breastfeeding and timely immunization.
From theory to practice
Fourty-five kilometers away from Baljuvon, in Kulob city, family doctors and nurses are undergoing practical six-months training courses to provide higher quality family medicine. These courses provide the participants with practical exercises after they accomplish the mandatory six-months’ theoretical training all of which are supported by the ‘Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health’ project.
“I’m grateful that during the six month-courses and trainings, I’ve learnt how to conduct family visits, how to provide counselling to pregnant mothers and mothers of newborn babies on nutrition and breastfeeding. I feel confident, I’m now able to help more mothers and children in my district.”
Rehabilitating and equipping the health centers
At the Khovaling’s District Health Center- another old building located in the very heart of the district, it is also a very busy day.
In addition to medical kits for family doctors, the Khovaling’s District Health Center received essential medical equipment for primary health services as well as drawers provided by UNICEF. The health center also received one of nine ambulances delivered by UNICEF to ensure mothers and children in furthest districts receive emergency health services and referral system- all with the support of the project. The health center itself will be soon reconstructed into a modern three-storey building with a variety of healthcare services available for the people and the communities.
Mothers to enjoy safe spaces for counselling
Meanwhile, inside the health center, three-month old Yosuman is experiencing stomach pain and her mother is waiting for an appointment with the family doctor. The family doctor’s name is Olimjon Mirzosharifov, and he is one of the recent graduates of the training for family doctors and nurses provided by the LLF-funded ‘Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health’ project.
Together with the family nurse, Dr. Olimjon first checks the weight of Yosuman, her height, her stomach and then speaks to her mother on the girl’s nutrition routine.
After the examination, the doctor provides the mother with counselling on breastfeeding and her own diet.
‘I’m very grateful that such projects are implemented to help family doctors provide better services.”-shares doctor Olimjon.
Building further capacity for family doctors and nurses in Tajikistan
The LLF-funded ‘Improving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health’ project co-implemented by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Social protection aims at improving the capacity and potential of the family doctors and family nurses early in their careers and upgrading maternal and child health. Starting from a six-month theoretical training and then followed by practical workshops on nutrition, breastfeeding, early stimulation and detection, counselling of mothers, the project has helped over 23 family doctors and 177 nurses so far, to promote capacity.
The project is holistic in its approach and apart from its’ supply component (purchase of essential equipment, provision of training) it also increases the community’s demand for quality healthcare services for mothers and children. As a way forward, community engagement groups will be established in collaboration with the community leaders and activists to ensure community participation and ownership.
Within the enabling environment component of the project, UNICEF supports the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to review and update the relevant treatment guidelines, protocols and policies related to the mother and child health.
