Germany invests € 9 million in maternal and child healthcare in Tajikistan.

German Development Bank - KfW - will finance the modernization of the National Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology as part of the 6th phase of the “Maternal and Child Health, Emergency Medical Care” program.

The signing ceremony of the grant agreement on the program “Maternal and Child Health and Emergency medical care, phase VI " took place on October 18, 2019, at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, with the participation of Minister Mr. Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, Head of KfW health team for Asia – Ms. Amelie D’Souza and the KfW office Director, Dr. Andreas Schneider.

The ceremony was also attended by representatives from the KfW headquarters - project manager, Ms. Annika Unterpertinger, and Senior medical expert Dr. Joachim Schüürmann.

The 9 million euro Program funds were allocated under the government-to-government agreement between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Federal Republic of Germany on Financial Cooperation for 2016-2017.

Implementation of the program foresees financing construction and repair works as well as the purchase of medical and non-medical equipment for the neonatal department and the maternity department of the Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology in Dushanbe. In addition, the funds will be used to finance trainings as well as consulting services for the personnel of these departments.

It is important to note that after the signing of the agreement, the total amount of funds allocated to the program for protecting maternal and child health in Tajikistan in the framework of bilateral financial cooperation between Germany and Tajikistan amounted to 64.5 million Euros.  KfW and the Ministry of Health and Social protection of Population funded the modernization of the central district hospitals in Yovon, Khuroson, Farkhor, Hamadoni, J. Balkhi, Vakhsh, Vose and Temurmalik districts during the previous phases of this Program.  In addition, on the basis of regional hospitals in Kulob and Bokhtar, the country's first regional perinatal centers were established and equipped.  The opening of the first perinatal center in Kulob took place in the presence of President Emomali Rahmon on September 11, 2019.

This center is a maternity ward of the tertiary level and is designed to provide routine counseling and emergency obstetric care, as well as medical services to newborns and women of 11 cities and districts of Khatlon province.  As part of the perinatal center, a hospital, 2 operating rooms, 6 maternity rooms, an intensive care unit for newborns and infants with 12 beds, and a hospital with 150 beds with neonatology, neonatal surgery, pediatric wards, departments for joint stay of mother and child, gynecology and other services.  These services are designed to provide modern highly specialized conservative, surgical and anesthesiological and resuscitation care in an emergency and planned manner for various female pathologies, providing obstetric and neonatal care to mothers and newborns.  Support units were also built and fully equipped: training rooms for classes, telemedicine, workshops for repairing medical equipment, laundry, kitchen, water supply and heating systems, and hospital waste disposal.  Organization of a medical waste disposal system meets all modern standards and is safe for the environment.

KfW together with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has been implementing the programs of the Financial Cooperation of Germany with Tajikistan since 2003 in the field of tuberculosis control, maternal and child health and emergency medicine, treatment and prevention of poliomyelitis.