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Uzbekistan
In 2003 UNICEF found that many newborn deaths in Uzbekistan were of full-term, normal birth-weight infants – deaths mostly easily preventable at low cost. This prompted the Ministry of Health to ask HealthProm, which had worked for seven years in the country, to provide trainings of trainers.
What we are doing
Training of trainers to reduce newborn deaths in Uzbekistan, with regional evaluation
Project active since: 2004
Our partner: UNICEF
Location: Across Uzbekistan
Budget: £25,080 for 2010
HealthProm’s WHO qualified trainers have trained neonatologists in Russian to reduce deaths of newborn babies every year for seven years. The new regional trainers take this new training back to their regions throughout Uzbekistan and train their colleagues. Our trainers go to the regions, supported by UNICEF, to monitor and evaluate how they use the trainings in clinical practice. At the same time our trainers give refresher training at the cot-side wherever any problems have arisen. The 2010 trainings were in treatment of respiratory disorders of the newborn and use of neonatal equipment and were provided in September and October to coincide with delivery of equipment to maternity units by the Asian Development Bank.
The project is now part of UNICEF’s newborn survival programme. UNICEF paid a large part of the costs and other funders were the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, the RA & VB Reekie Trust and the GV & SJ Britten Trust. Four previous trainings were funded by the British Embassy and the Embassy has nominated the project as its official charity programme.
The national newborn mortality rate fell by 16.32 per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2008 (calculated from UNICEF estimates). This is a fall of c. 9,025 deaths in 2008 from the 2000 figure. Infant mortality is about half what it was 10 years ago and HealthProm has played a significant part in this decline. The Ministry of Health has asked for HealthProm to deliver more training.
