Improvement of Reproductive Health

IMPROVEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

    UNFPA works to improve health services and make them more accessible as regards safe motherhood, the protection of reproductive health and family planning. In Kyrgyzstan the programme has been made possible with the cooperation of the Manas National Health Programme and the National Strategy for the Protection of Reproductive Health.

Reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and they have he capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition are the right of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice, as well as other methods of their choice for the regulation of fertility which are not against the law and the right of access to appropriate health-care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best choice of having a healthy infant (Excerpt from the ICPD Programme of Action 1994, paragraph 7.2).

Situation analysis: Women’s health at risk

In Kyrgyzstan many problems regarding maternity care remain unresolved. There is still a high maternal mortality rate and about 80 per cent of the cases could have been prevented. The medical services provided do not adequately meet the population’s demands, especially in the case of the poor and vulnerable. There is not enough attention given to men’s reproductive health, cancers connected with reproduction and also educating the population. The number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV/AIDS has increased. Adolescents’ rights to information on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and related services are not adequately met. Particularities in the mentality, traditions and culture of the population and also gender stereotypes have created barriers against establishing reproductive rights especially for men.

There is still an unsatisfactory financial and technical base for the medical establishments, which provide maternity care. Practically everywhere in medical establishments in rural places there is an extremely weak infrastructure (there is no constant water supply, heating or electricity). The lack of communications and fuel prevents regular monitoring, consultations and urgent help being carried out.

Maternity care information and educational programmes are only available for those who live in the capital and in the provincial centres. Contraceptives are not produced in the republic and a system guaranteeing deliveries of contraceptives is not in place. Limited funds do not allow for such purchases and therefore the country is totally dependent on deliveries from foreign donors.

However it has to be stated that there have been several achievements in the maternity care sector:

-              Contraceptives have become more available and the number of people using them has increased by up to 47.9%

-              The birth rate has gone down from 3.4 to 2.8, mainly in the group 15-19 years old

-              The interval between births has increased, 96.9 women receive pre-natal care and have qualified specialists present at the time of birth

-              Effective technical equipment from the World Health Organization (WHO) has been introduced to ensure safe pregnancies

Key indicators on reproductive health

Source: UNFPA State of the World Population Report, 2007

On the ground, UNFPA is:

1.      Teaching potential skilled specialists, which includes:

-         Training primary level workers in current reproductive health matters, preventative measures and treatment of STD

-         Training gynaecologists, obstetricians, neo-natal carers and midwives in using the WHO’s new technical equipment for safe motherhood and emergency obstetric care in the pilot regions of the country

-         Organizing study trips abroad for medical workers

-         Developing study materials and clinical reports on the RH questions and family planning (FP)

-         Providing help to the medical institutes by developing study programmes on emergency obstetric care and RH/FP.

2.      Promoting public awareness:

-     UNFPA develops and distributes information materials (brochures, booklets and posters) on SRH and safe motherhood;

-     It works with Muslim religious leaders and non-governmental organizations for the advancement of FP matters and the protection of RH.

3.      3. In response to women’s reproductive problems UNFPA has made modern methods of contraception more accessible:

-    By conducting training seminars for primary level specialists on contemporary family planning techniques and consulting

-    By providing regular deliveries of contraceptives to all the regions of the country and monitoring their distribution and use

-    By supplying equipment for emergency obstetric care and safe births and also treatment for STD in emergency situations

-    By giving support to the information logistics system for the management of methods of contraception, in order to estimate the delivery requirements of methods for the protection of reproductive health

-    By creating means of satisfying the contraceptive needs and requirements of vulnerable groups of the population

UNFPA takes plays an active part in:

Supporting the development of Kyrgyz Republic’s Ministry of Health (MH KR) plans and medical workers in accordance with the president of the Kyrgyz Republic’s decree on the priority of maternal health and the health and survival of the child. (After this decree a Department for Maternity and Childcare was created and a National Centre for the Health of Mother and Child under the MH KR)

Advancing National strategy for the protection of reproductive health of the population of KR for 2006-2015 and the law “On the reproductive rights of its citizens.”

Approximate annual budget from regular resources: USD 350,000

Resources:

An inspection of plural exponents, UNICEF and MH KR, 2007.

Survey on demographic health, 1997.

Dirk Vestov. Children’s tendencies in Kyrgyzstan, 1997-2006, unpublished account.

Primary level workers: midwives, doctor’s assistants and nurses from family practitioner groups (FPG).