UNAIDS and UNFPA supply personal protective equipment and sanitary items to maternity hospitals of Andijan region in support of the national response to the pandemic

Tashkent - On June 10, 2020, a ceremony was held to transfer personal protective equipment and sanitatary items to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan to be delivered to the maternity hospitals in Andijan region.

21 batches of PPEs and sanitizers are ready for delivery to the Andijan region maternity hospitals

Within the joint agreement between the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 75,000 masks, 2,900 sanitizers, 50,000 pairs of sterile gloves and 50,000 pairs of non-sterile gloves were procured for delivery to 21 maternity hospitals of Andijan region.

The main objective of this initiative is to ensure the safest possible environment for all patients and healthcare staff, as well as to support the implementation of protocols on the use of PPE for front-line personnel while providing adequate care for mothers and children.

The protection of health workers, in particular midwives, nurses, obstetrician-gynecologists and anesthesiologists, must be prioritized as critical and lifesaving and they should be provided with personal protective equipment at all times.

Earlier the UNFPA office in Uzbekistan also supplied personal protective equipment and sanitizers to 13 maternity hospitals of Tashkent city. This contribution included 2,000 sanitizer containers, 50,000 pairs of sterile gloves and 50,000 pairs of non-sterile gloves and 80,000 masks.

Another response initiative undertaken from the start of the coronavirus outbreak, focused on ensuring continuity of sexual and reproductive health services and interventions included support in development of the “National Interim Clinical Guidelines on Pregnancy and Childbirth Management in Covid”, approved by the Ministry of Health. The guidelines along with the “routing algorithm for pregnant women, women in labor with suspected COVID-19 when referring the policlinic and referral for inpatient treatment” were printed in Uzbek and Russian languages for dissemination to the maternity hospitals nationwide.

(from left to right) Mr. Yu Yu, UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan, Ms. Barno Abdusamatova, Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Healthcare of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, Ms. Charoskhon Maksudova, UNAIDS Representative in Uzbekistan

As Barno Abdusamatova, Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Healthcare of the Ministry of Health noted, “the support and cooperation of international organizations is always extremely important, and especially at this moment of the pandemic, and we deeply appreciate this contribution and assistance aimed at ensuring the protection of health workers providing health services to mothers and newborns."

In his turn, Mr. Yu Yu, Representative of UNFPA in Uzbekistan, emphasized that “Reproductive health protection should not be overlooked during pandemics. It is essential to remember and ensure that all women have the right to a safe pregnancy and childbirth."

“Protecting medical personnel in maternity hospitals from infection is as important as protecting pregnant women. The country is currently on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Preventive measures are needed to support the progress made, especially during COVID-19”, said Charoskhon Maksudova, UNAIDS Representative in Uzbekistan.