On April of 2008, SISF in cooperation with “NESTLE” corporation (Switzerland) in Uzbekistan held training for its project partners on rational nutrition for children. Thereby, the project “Healthy Mother – Healthy Child”, which was began in 2007, will continue its development in this year.
Social Initiatives Support Fund consolidates efforts of NGOs of Uzbekistan for improving the quality of life of citizens, who need social support. Aiming this, it develops and implements social programs and projects, which are financed by domestic and international donors. Along with education, social infrastructure, environment and social support – healthcare is important area of Fund’s activity.
The objective of SISF in such activity is ensuring access to quality medical services, popularization of healthy life style, and medical education and informing.
SISF’s project “Healthy Mother – Healthy Child” started in 2007 year. Within the framework of this project there were conducted seminars regarding anemia and endemic goiter for reproductive age women and school age children.
This project will continue its development in this year with wider geographic area. It was expended to Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi and Tashkent regions in addition to Fergana valley regions. Quantity of beneficiaries increased from 12 to 18 thousands individuals. Also, “Healthy Mother – Healthy Child” project duration extended from 3 month (as it was in 2007 year) to one year. It can be explained by the level of project goals and objectives, which are suited to goals of State Program “Year of Youth”.
Project designers along with partners involved 15 thousand student-girls for participation in the project, who certainly would be mothers in the future. Trained coach – experts of SISF’s partner organization – NGO “Salomatlik plus Ekologiya” will work with each group of girls to prepare young women to safe motherhood. This part of the project covers Andijan, Ferghana, Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions.
At the same time trainings for young mothers will be conducted in Navoi, Bukhara and Namangan regions. Association of pediatricians of Bukhara region “Avicenna” – another partner of SISF will develop and conduct this part of seminars. Considering undesirability of hourly separation of young mother and baby, duration of seminars is set for 1.5 hours. Therefore, 3 thousand young mothers (500 from each region) will obtain skills to take care of new born babies, get useful information about organization of rational nutrition of children, etc.
Subsequently, this training program for young mothers will restart in Andijan, Ferghana, and Kashkadarya regions. Thereafter, seminars for student-girls will restart in Navoi, Bukhara, Tashkent and Namangan regions.
Seminars and trainings will be held in regional Health centers and mahallas. Doctors of Health centers and consultants from makhalla communities will be involved for participation on the seminars for increasing the awareness among experts and the public.
After completing the project, SISF plans to hold international conference on safe motherhood and childhood with participation of experts from France, Austria and other countries. The results of project and evaluation of its efficiency will be presented on the conference, where the main criteria will be the level of health of mothers and children.