WHO
Dr. Michel Tailhades - WHO Representative
Mission statement
The World Health Organization, founded in 1948, is the United Nations’ special agency for health. The WHO Country Office in Uzbekistan belongs to one of the six regional offices around which the WHO is globally structured, namely the Regional Office for Europe (WHO EURO).
Uzbekistan officially joined the WHO on the 25th of May 1992. Collaboration between the WHO EURO and Uzbekistan has occurred since 1993.The WHO Country Office has been an active player in the country, working towards achieving a common development goal - Health for all.
Despite the numerous challenges ahead with regards to strengthening the national public healthcare system’s performance in effectively addressing health priorities, Uzbekistan has undergone important developments in the past years. The WHO plays a crucial role in strengthening the capacity of the Uzbek Ministry of Health, specifically in improving the national system’s overall performance, in developing innovative policies, and in improving quality of care at various levels through the provision of technical assistance.
Main areas of work
WHO’s scope of action in Uzbekistan includes a number of strategic areas of collaboration, defined on a regular basis with the Ministry of Health and articulated in a Biennium Collaborative Agreement (BCA). For the biennium from 2008 to 2009, WHO CO focused its efforts on:
1. Communicable diseases: The creation of immunization programs which contributed to achieving the MDG on reducing child mortality, improving immunization services and combating infectious diseases. This also includes surveillance and preparedness in regards to avian influenza and pandemic influenza.
2. HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: The provision of assistance to the Ministry of Health in preventing these diseases, and providing treatment and care for those who live with them.
3. Non-communicable diseases: The prevention and reduction of disease, disability and premature death caused by chronic non-communicable conditions, mental disorders, violence and injuries.
4. Mother and child healthcare: The reduction of morbidity and mortality, while improving health during key stages of life. These include pregnancy, childbirth, the neonatal period, childhood and adolescence. Also, the improvement of sexual and reproductive health, and the promotion of active and health ageing for all individuals, using a life-course approach and addressing equity gaps.
5. Nutrition and food safety: The improvement nutrition status, food safety and food security, throughout the life-course and in support of public health and sustainable development.
6. The Karakalpakstan Project, which aims to achieve the following objectives:
• The development of the national capacity to assess the impacts
of climate change and air pollution on health;
• The development of a national plan to protect health from climate
change;
• The reduction of the burden placed on respiratory diseases by
climate-related events;
• The improvement of nutrition assessment and care in the health
system;
• The establishment of an early warning system for dust storms, in
collaboration with Uzbekistan Hydrometeorology, in order to develop
health warnings for the population.
7. Human rights and Health: At the end of July 2008, the WHO country office in Uzbekistan was formally approached by the Uzbek Ombudsman to provide support in the following areas:
• The training of health workers in regards to health protection
and patients’ rights;
• The training of trainers, in regards to raising awareness among
health works and the general public concerning the right to good
health;
• The development and production of awareness-raising material on
patients’ rights, targeting health workers and the general
public.
As a result, the Ombudsman Office, the MOH and the WHO have held a series of national workshops, in order to raise awareness of the links between Human Rights and Health.
8. The National Drug Policy: Strengthening Uzbekistan’s capacities in the monitoring and implementation of the National Drug Policy.
9. To provide leadership, strengthen governance, and foster partnerships and collaboration between the country, the United Nations system and other stakeholders, in order to fulfil the WHO’s mandate in advancing the global health agenda as outlined in the Eleventh General Programme of Work.
Main partners
1. The Ministry of Health: Each technical program works with the
ministry, through national counterparts, in order to ensure high
degrees of ‘national ownership’;
2. The Parliament;
3. The Ombudsman Institution;
4. The Ministry of Internal Affairs;
5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
6. The Environmental Committee of Uzbekistan
7. International partners including UNDP, UNICEF, WB, UNFPA,
UNAIDS, CDC, UNESCO, USAID, Project HOPE, ZdravPlus, ADB, GFATM,
Europa House, OSCE, MSF (Holland).
Contact information
WHO CO in Uzbekistan,
16 M. Tarobiy Str.,
100100, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Tel: (998 71) 281 51 72/73/74/75/76
Fax: (99871) 2815178
Website: www.euro.who.int/uzbekistan
List of links to publications and reports produced by WHO CO in Uzbekistan, available on line in the WHO CO webpage (http://www.euro.who.int/Uzbekistan/publications/20080123_1)
1. Primary care quality management in Uzbekistan (2008) http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91927.pdf
2. Making Pregnancy Safer in Uzbekistan. Maternal mortality and morbidity audit (Activities Report 2002-2008) http://www.euro.who.int/document/MPS/mps_uzb.pdf
3. Towards the European strategy for Making Pregnancy Safer: improving maternal and perinatal health (2007) http://www.euro.who.int/document/MPS/uzb_mpseuro_countryprofiles.pdf
4. WHO-AIMS report on mental health system in Uzbekistan (2007) http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/uzbekistan_who_aims_report.pdf
5. National workshop "Beyond the Numbers", reviewing maternal deaths and complications (2005) http://www.euro.who.int/document/MPS/050403_btn_uzb_new.pdf