Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Nov. 27 / Trend, D. Azizov /
Azerbaijani Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev attended the international symposium "National model of maternal and child health protection in Uzbekistan: Healthy mother - healthy child"
The symposium was attended by over 300 representatives from science and international organizations in healthcare, including heads of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, representatives of ministries and health institutions from 40 countries.
In his speech at the symposium Shiraliyev stressed Uzbekistan's progresses in the sphere of public health protection, primarily in the sphere of protection of mother and child's health.
"We visited several medical facilities of Uzbekistan, got familiarized with their work and the progress achieved in providing mothers and children with modern and qualitative health care services - physicians' successes are impressive," Shiraliyev said.
He also briefed the symposium participants about the measures taken by the Azerbaijani leadership during the years of independence for radical improvement of the public health situation in the country.
The minister recalled that after the Soviet Union's collapse and in the early years of independence the republic experienced very difficult situation due to the difficult economic situation, in fact, destroyed health infrastructure. In addition, as a result of the occupation of part of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia more than 1.2 million refugees, including - children, most of whom were sick, exhausted or injured, arrived in the central part of the country.
"Infant mortality in those years reached 28 percent," Shiraliyev said.
Then Azerbaijani leadership adopted a strategy of public health development, envisaging a significant improvement of material-technical base of health care sphere, construction of new and reconstruction of existing health facilities, as well as major specialized medical research centers, including perinatal ones.
At present, more than 400 medical institutions are commissioned, great budgetary funds are allocated to purchase modern medical equipment. The country implements a program to protect mother and child's health, introduced electronic health cards, vaccination against infectious diseases.
These achievements of Azerbaijan were confirmed during the session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in September 2011 in Baku, the minister said.
During his visit to Tashkent, Shiraliyev visited the Azerbaijani Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center and laid a wreath at the monument to the national leader.
Shiraliyev and Azerbaijani ambassador to Uzbekistan Namig Abbasov also visited the Heydar Aliyev Museum, Azerbaijan Statehood Museum, Museum of history of Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations.