The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan with financial and technical support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Uzbekistan on 20 August started the series of trainings on building up and upgrading skills of health care providers involved in emergency obstetric care.

This training is an integral part of the joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and UNFPA on strengthening the system of emergency obstetric care in Andijan region.

The training takes place in the Republic Perinatal Centre in Tashkent and in the Andijan Region Maternity Complex. It is planned that more than 250 health care providers will be trained in the course of the training. This comprises over 66% of the total amount of health care providers in the province working in the area of emergency obstetric care.

The training courses are delivered by national trainers prepared by the international consultant during the training of trainers (ToT) that was jointly organized by UNFPA and the Ministry of Health in July 2007. They aim at discussing ways of improving the management of obstetrical emergencies which may help standardize the skills of practicing maternity care providers and review the importance of utilizing regional maternity care services.

Prior to starting these training programmes that are part of the project on improving the system of emergency obstetric care in Andijan province, UNFPA and the Ministry of Health held a two-day orientation meeting on emergency obstetric care and contraceptives logistics management information system (LMIS) in Andijan on 16-17 August 2007. Health care system representatives gathered in the meeting to discuss the current issues in the area of emergency obstetric care, perspectives for further cooperation on EMOC and LMIS, and launch the training programmes for health care providers from Andijan province.

UNFPA believes that this activity is a significant contribution in the efforts of the Ministry of Health on further strengthening maternal health in the country and achieving Millennium Development Goal 5.

UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programs to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.