UNICEF IN UZBEKISTAN REVEALS PLANS FOR 2017

Four months ago, the UNICEF office in Uzbekistan was headed by Sascha Graumann. From the moment of his arrival to Tashkent, he became closely acquainted with the situation on the ground and now is willing to share the priorities and plans for this year.

Building plans for 2017, we have identified priorities in healthcare, education and protection of children.

According to official figures, they are more than 10 million in Uzbekistan. UNICEF works closely with the government to ensure for every child a full realization of their rights and opportunities. Task number one for 2017 is to assist the Uzbek government to further improve policies for children and support for the development of activities in this direction. Our goal is to provide children from low-income families with quality healthcare, education and legal services. Now let me expound on these three tracks.

Healthcare

Uzbekistan has shown progress in improving health services for mothers and children. A striking example of this has been reduction in infant and maternal mortality. In 2017, UNICEF will continue to support the improvement of the quality of care, especially for children with disabilities, as well as in rural areas.

According to official data of 2015, over 99% of the country’s children have been vaccinated and protected from life-threatening diseases. By the end of 2019, the external support for Uzbekistan in purchasing vaccines comes to an end. UNICEF with the government have been working on effective budget planning for the purchase of vaccines and immunization for all children.

The most important period in the life of any child is the first 1,000 days, that is, from nine months in the womb to two years. In this period of life alone, the human brain experiences up to 1,000 new connections per second, which lays the foundation for future learning and health. Lack of considerate care, including proper nutrition, stimulation, love, and protection from stress and violence may hinder the development of the brain.

If we take a look at the global figures, we’ll see that about 250 million children, or 43% of all, before the age of five years in low- and middle-income countries are at higher risk of not achieving their full potential because of malnutrition and lack of care and attention. In addition, children in low- and middle-income countries face many problems, which together affect their health, well-being and learning throughout their lives. This has implications not only for individuals, but also contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty, inequality and social exclusion.

In 2017, UNICEF will focus on proper nutrition and healthcare for pregnant women as well as children. Your country has established a system of home visits by nurses. Under this scheme, we will try to implement our plans. The patronage nurses will inform the family about the necessary healthcare, nutrition and measures for the development of children in the first 1,000 days of life.

Education

Recently, the government of Uzbekistan has approved a national program to improve early childhood education. According to official data, 77% of children between the ages of two to seven years do not attend pre-school institutions. This means that millions of them miss the opportunity to develop their skills and prepare for school. Indicators differ across the country’s regions, thus our attention will be focused in the less developed provinces.

UNICEF will also work to improve the quality, efficiency and transparency in the education sector.

Protection of children

The needs of children with disabilities is a very sensitive issue, and UNICEF will assist the government in carrying out research on the subject. Results of the study will help to develop and implement practical actions to address the needs of children with disabilities.

According to official data, 19,896 children were in boarding schools in 2015. The study of some regions testified that only 14% of them were orphans, while more than half are placed in boarding schools due to the socio-economic difficulties faced by their families.

In 2017, UNICEF will continue to work to prevent the placement in orphanages of children deprived of care in families. With the right combination of services such as counseling and social benefits that meet the needs of vulnerable families, Uzbekistan can significantly reduce the number of such kids and leave them with family members.

Our organization supports the development of the justice system for minors. How the justice system treats them will affect their confidence in the law.

I cannot fail to note that UNICEF appreciates the government’s intention to engage the wider public in the decision-making process of the state program "Year of Dialogue with the People and Human Interests”. This will enable the government to consider the ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concerning the establishment of mechanisms to deal with complaints in the field of children’s rights. We believe in 2017 we will achieve significant progress in the realization of the rights of vulnerable segments of population, especially children.

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