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Maternal/newborn health protection and family planning  in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Family planning is a right for life.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 27-29 September 2017 (Regional workshop) - WHO estimates that 225 million women in developing countries would like to delay or avoid pregnancy but do not use any method of contraception. Complications during pregnancy and delivery are the main reason of death among young women. More than 287 000 women die in the world annually during pregnancy and delivery. Maternal death rates in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are among the highest in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They are 30.3 and 29.1 per 100 live births respectively. Over the last two decades a significant progress has been achieved, however, it is slow in reducing maternal and newborn death rate in these countries.

47 000 women in the world annually have complications of unsafe abortions. In Kyrgyzstan every year about 1-3 women die of abortions, that is 5% of all maternal deaths. Family planning/contraception helps to reduce a need for abortion, especially unsafe abortion. Reduction of unmet need for modern contraception is a priority for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Both countries are quite similar, e.g. total fertility rate is high (on average 3.2 children per one woman in 2015 in Kyrgyzstan and on average 3.5 children per one woman in 2015 in Tajikistan) and death rate is relatively low (5.8 per 1 000 people in 2015 in Kyrgyzstan and 5.6 per 1 000 people in 2015 in Tajikistan).

In order to expedite progress in protecting sexual and reproductive health when developing national policies, guidelines and regulatory documents, it is important to take into account international scientific evidence and best practices, standards and guidelines for healthcare. In order to attract attention of people living in provinces to reproductive health and family planning for further development of relevant policies and strategies, the Ministries of Health of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with the support of country offices of UNFPA, UNFPA's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, GIZ in Kyrgyzstan have agreed on joint work during the workshop on 27-29 September 2017 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The objective of the workshop is to strengthen national institutional capacity in order to expedite progress in providing universal access to high-quality healthcare in respect of sexual and reproductive health in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as to describe the context and vision in order to accelerate progress in protecting reproductive health according to new Agenda for Sustainable Development, aimed at reaching zero maternal death rate and zero unmet need for family planning by 2030.

During the workshop participants will be able to discuss and agree on a plan of priority actions and technical cooperation for 2018 and further, provide latest international standards and guidelines in the area of sexual and reproductive health, provide regional instruments, materials and learning platforms for strengthening national institutional capacity, including human resources, for the provision of universal sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as to discuss applicability of new instruments and mechanisms in respect of healthcare quality and national priorities in reproductive health protection.

«Our citizens have formed a dependent approach to their health, we need to change this, and such seminars can affect the practical changes for the better in health institutions», - Marat Kaliev, Chair, Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund.

In addition to the set tasks, the workshop will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between development partners and technical partner organizations in providing continuous and coordinated support to ministries of health of both countries in order to develop and roll out healthcare quality standards, promote reform of healthcare system and further strengthen maternal and newborn health in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Developing family planning services and providing access to preferred methods of contraception for women and couples is very important for reaching well-being and independence of women, as well as supporting health and reducing maternal death rate.

Kyrgyz Parliament Member Alfia Samigulina in her welcoming speech underlined: «Each of us is responsible for quality of services! ».