Health care newsletter from the CIS countries

The East Europe
Committee of the
Swedish Health Care
Community
Health Care
Newsletter
from the CIS
Countries

The East Europe Committee of the Swedish Health Care Community P a g e | 2
Health Care Newsletter from the CIS Countries Nr 33 (206) 25.09—01.10 2008-10-01
General
UN-backed scheme aims to reduce
maternal mortality by boosting
health systems
25 September 2008 – The United
Nations has teamed up with world
leaders to launch a new initiative to
strengthen health systems in an effort
to reduce the number of women who
die in pregnancy and childbirth, one of
the eight Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) world leaders with a
2015 deadline.
The task force on maternal mortality,
which will be co-chaired by British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and
World Bank President Robert Zoellick,
will focus on innovative financing to
strengthen health care systems and
pay for health care workers.
The recommendations that will flow
from the group, which will include UN
World Health Organization (WHO)
Director-General Margaret Chan and
several global leaders, will potentially
save the lives of 10 million women and
children by 2015. They will be
presented to next year’s meeting of the
leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8)
industrialized nations, to be held in
Italy.
According to WHO, around 500,000
women die in pregnancy or childbirth
every year – about one woman every
minute. Nearly all maternal deaths – 99
per cent – occur in developing
countries, and half of those are in
Africa.
“The number of maternal deaths will not
go down until more women have
access to skilled attendants at birth and
to emergency obstetric care,” Ms. Chan
stressed.
In a joint statement issued, the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA), the World
Bank and WHO pledged to enhance
support over the next five years to the
countries with the highest maternal
mortality.
Their efforts aim to help countries
achieve the two MDG 5 targets of
reducing maternal mortality by 75 per
cent and achieving universal access to
reproductive health by 2015, as well as
contribute to achieving MDG 4 on
reducing child mortality.
UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya
Ahmed Obaid, has called on Member
States to speed up efforts for
reproductive, maternal and newborn
health, noting that the world will not
achieve the MDGs without more
investment in the health and rights of
women and ensuring universal access
to reproductive health.
Read more:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp
?NewsID=28262&Cr=Maternal+Health
&Cr1=
Belarus
CIS specialists to discuss fight
against infectious diseases in
Volgograd
25.09.2008
Modern technologies used to fight
infectious diseases in the CIS will be
discussed at a conference in
Volgograd. The forum will take place at
the Volgograd Plague Research
Institute on September 30 – October 2,
the press service of the CIS Executive
Committee told BelTA.
As part of the conference the 9th
session of the coordinating council for
sanitary protection of the CIS states
against extremely dangerous infectious
diseases will take place. The session is
supposed to sum up the council’s

operation in 2007-2008 and consider
targets for 2009. Discussions about the
assimilation of international health
regulations in Russia, a draft
agreement on using special
antiepidemic teams during emergencies
are also on the agenda.
Participants of the forum will share
information about modern technologies
used to implement the international
health regulations, counteraction of new
epidemic risks, prevention of public
health emergencies and liquidation of
their consequences.
The events are expected to gather
leading CIS scientists and specialists in
virology, epidemiology, and sanitary
science as well as representatives of
the World Health Organisation.
http://www.belta.by/en/news/society?id
=280991
Heart surgeons from 3 countries to
come to Belarus
25.09.2008
Heart surgeons from three countries will
come to Belarus to participate in the
international charitable act Children’s
Heart that will be held in Minsk on
September 27 - October 12, BelTA
learnt from deputy director for
pediatric heart surgery of the
Cardiology Centre Yuri Chesnov.
According to him, the charitable act
will be held in the Pediatric Heart
Surgery Centre affiliated with the
Cardiology Centre. 12 specialists
from the UK, US and Canada are to
arrive in Belarus. Together with
Belarusian medical professionals
they will provide a series of
consultations and perform operations
on kids with congenital heart defects.
Yuri Chesnov added that since the
time when the first charitable act was
held, the Belarusian pediatric heart
surgery has made a big step forward;
a sufficient number of operations,
including most complicated ones, is
performed in Belarus. “This charitable
act became a tradition, it gives an
opportunity to share experience,” Yuri
Chesnov noted. This time, the
cardiac specialists of the centre are
interested in their colleagues’ opinion
on the diagnosis and treatment of
some patients. Several children
operated by Dr. William Novick will
be brought to the hospital on the
request of the professor.
Dr. Novick, Founder and Medical
Director of the International
Children's Heart Foundation, has
been taking volunteer medical teams
to Minsk since December 1996,
providing operations to children with
congenital heart defects.
http://www.belta.by/en/news/society?i
d=281045
Belarusian cardiac surgeons to get
training in clinics of Hannover and
Berlin
05.09.2008
In line with the agreement inked by
the Belarusian Health Ministry and
Chernobyl Children’s Fund of Lower
Saxony of Germany, a team of
Belarusian cardiac surgeons will get
training courses in clinics of
Hannover and Berlin, BelTA learnt
from the press service of the Health
Ministry of Belarus.
In German clinics the Belarusian
surgeons will have special courses
dealing with the heart transplantation
operations. The Belarusian
The East Europe Committee of the
Swedish Health Care Community
specialists are expected to leave for

Germany in the near future.
A reminder, the same agreement has
been already concluded with Lithuanian
colleagues from the Vilnius University
Hospital. The Belarusian cardiac
surgeons will also receive training in
clinics of the Czech Republic, Germany
and Finland.
During the talks in Germany,
representatives of Belarus and
Chernobyl Children’s Fund of Lower
Saxony reached an agreement on
supplies of ultrasonic scanning devices
and mammographers to Belarus. Within
16 years, the German fund has
supplied about 150 ultrasonic scanning
devices to Belarus.
=265997
EurAsEC Health draft programme to
be submitted for heads of state
consideration
25.09.2008
The submission of the EurAsEC Health
draft interstate programme for the
consideration of the heads of state will
be the next step in its formation, Deputy
Health Minister, chief state sanitary
inspector of Belarus Valentina Kachan,
stated at a session of a working group
of the Healthcare Council in the
EurAsEC Executive Committee on
September 25.
The members of the Healthcare Council
from Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
have gathered in Minsk on September
25 to finalize the initiative proposal on
the EurAsEC Health draft programme.
“It is not the first meeting, and today we
plan to work out the final conceptual
approaches to develop the interstate
programme triggered by the President
of Belarus. His proposal was supported
by the presidents of all EurAsEC
participating countries,” said Valentina
Kachan.
She underscored that despite
differences in the national cultures,
traditions and mentality of the people,
the EurAsEC countries have common
problems which solution is the main
goal of the interstate programme.
Among them the Deputy Healthcare
Minister of Belarus emphasized
demographic security, a fight against
alcohol and drug addiction and
difference between the men and
women average-expectancy life.
=280675
Passports for health
Belarusian polyclinics to introduce
electronic health passports and caserecords
By Anastasia Neverskaya
Vladimir Lapitsky, Head of the
laboratory at the National Academy of
Sciences’ United Institute of Informatics
Problems, says, “The introduction of IT
systems to health care is a long-term,
labour intensive process. It takes time
to train medical staff on how to operate
soft ware and at least two years for a
300-bed hospital to eliminate
paperwork.” Modern technologies are
already assisting doctors in collating
information e.g. to monitor the health of
those affected by the Chernobyl
catastrophe or register patients with
cancer or diabetes. Polyclinics can now
easily trace people’s duration of stay on
sick lists, marking the first stage of a
new information analytical system for
health care.
Internet appointments
Information systems boast wide
possibilities: a dozen years ago, it
seemed impossible that the Interior

Ministry for Casualty Registration might
monitor each patient on-line — now, it’s
routine. Additionally, about 30 Minsk
clinics offer Internet appointments,
freeing patients from the necessity of
queuing. Moreover, there’s no need to
spend time at the registry office
ordering your medical history notes;
they are already ‘waiting’ in the doctor’s
room.
Remote consultations
Mr. Lapitsky notes that phone
consultations are another move in the
right direction. Last year alone, over
70,000 such consultations were given.
At present, patients suffering from
thyroid cancer can speak to specialists
from Gomel’s Republican Scientific-
Practical Centre of Radiation Medicine
and Ecology, as well those from
Minsk’s Republican Centre for Thyroid
Tumours. Meanwhile, Soligorsk’s clinic
for Belaruskali patients offers phone
consultations with staff from the
Belarusian State Medical University’s
Department of Neurological and
Neurosurgical Diseases.
The Republican Scientifi c-Practical
Centre of Medical Technologies is
working with the National Academy of
Sciences’ United Institute of Informatics
Problems to realize two new
telemedicine projects: part of the
Electronic Belarus state programme
and the Union State programme to
jointly overcome the consequences
of Chernobyl. Many republican
medical centres, and over 20 medical
establishments in the Brest, Gomel
and Mogilev regions, will soon be
enjoying telemedicine consultations.
The Belarusian Health Ministry
believes local e-networks will be
launched countrywide over the next
three years — owing to joint work by
doctors and scientists. An agreement
between the Ministry and the
National Academy of Sciences has
been signed and a working party has
been formed to facilitate the process.
http://sb.by/files/MT/N34-2008/06.pdf
Kyrgyzstan
Health Program reached over 1
million Central Asians
The USAID-funded Healthy Family
program reached over 1.1 million
women and small children in
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan from 2002-2008.
The program trained over 13,000
health providers in international
guidelines and protocols for improved
service delivery and worked with
communities to educate them on
health issues. Additionally, the
USAID-funded program helped
formulate national health policy in
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The
program was implemented by a
consortium led by Project HOPE.
http://centralasia.usaid.gov/datafiles/
_upload/newsletter_2008_08_en.pdf
Training of front-line health
workers for tuberculosis control:
lessons from Nigeria and
Kyrgyzstan
Efficient human resources
development is vital for facilitating
tuberculosis control in developing
countries, and appropriate training of
front-line staff is an important
component of this process. Africa
and Central Asia are overrepresented
in global tuberculosis
statistics.
Although the African region
contributes only about 11% of the
world population, it accounts for at

least 25% of annual TB notifications,
a proportion that continues to
increase due to poor case
management and the adverse impact
of HIV/AIDS. Central Asia's estimated
current average tuberculosis
prevalence rate of 240/100 000 is
significantly higher than the global
average of 217/100 000.
With increased resources currently
becoming available for countries in
Africa and Central Asia to improve
tuberculosis control, it is important to
highlight context-specific training
benchmarks, and propose how human
resources deficiencies may be
addressed, in part, through efficient
(re)training of frontline tuberculosis
workers. This article compares the
quality, quantity and distribution of
tuberculosis physicians, laboratory
staff, community health workers and
nurses in Nigeria and Kyrgyzstan, and
highlights implications for (re)training
tuberculosis workers in developing
countries.
Author: Niyi Awofeso, Irina Schelokova
and Abubakar Dalhatu
Credits/Source: Human Resources for
Health 2008, 6:20
Published on: 2008-09-29
http://7thspace.com/headlines/293982/t
raining_of_front_line_health_workers_f
or_tuberculosis_control_lessons_from_
nigeria_and_kyrgyzstan.html
Russia
A Russian-American meeting on
HIV/AIDS surveillance and
prevention will be conducted within
the framework of the 2009 Moscow
International AIDS Conference.
23.09.08
The future Russian-American scientific
meeting on HIV surveillance and
prevention will take place within the
framework of the future International
AIDS Conference that will be held in
Moscow in autumn 2009. The Federal
Service on Protection of Consumers
Rights and Human Wellbeing of the
Russian Federation and National
Healthcare Institute of USA had agreed
to hold a meeting between Russian and
American scientists within the
framework of the Moscow International
AIDS Conference. The meeting will be
dedicated to exploring the possibility of
collaboration in the sphere of HIV/AIDS
on projects including microbicide and
HIV vaccine development, HIV
epidemiological surveillance, and
HIV/AIDS prevention among high-risk
groups.
The meeting participants from Russia’s
side will include professionals from the
leading scientific and research institutes
that work in the sphere of HIV-infection,
including the Science and Research
Center “Vector”.
In recent years, the Russian scientists
have redoubled their efforts to develop
an HIV. One of the reasons for this is
the Russian government’s decision to
allocate 1 billion rubles to this project
and to volunteer to coordinate similar
scientific studies in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia.
It is expected that the meeting between
Russian and American scientists will
result in a concrete plan for
collaboration in the implementation of
priority projects in the sphere of
HIV/AIDS.
As was announced earlier, the Moscow
International AIDS Conference will be
held at the end of 2009.
The Conference, which will be held in
Moscow for the third time, will be the
largest forum dedicated to the problems

of prevention and treatment of
HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia.
Read more:
http://www.eecaac.org/en/news.phtml?i
d=75
The Moscow International
Conference on AIDS will be held at
the end of 2009
26.06.08
According to the Federal service on
protection of Consumer Rights and
Wellbeing in the Russian Federation,
the Moscow International Conference
on AIDS will be held at the end of 2009.
The conference will receive up to 2500
delegates from CIS countries, SCO and
EurAsEC.
The following important themes will be
raised during the forum:
• Stimulation of scientific research in the
field of HIV/AIDS, including the HIV
vaccine development
• Contribution to the consolidation of
human resources on the national and
regional level to ensure the
effectiveness of the fight against HIV
infection
• Prevention of HIV/AIDS among
migrants
• Development of the potential of
healthcare systems to combat
HIV/AIDS by providing training and
employment assistance to medical
personnel and developing regional
interdepartmental collaboration
The Moscow AIDS conference will
serve as proof of Russia’s intentions to
assist in development of regional
cooperation to reverse the progress of
the epidemic. The conference will
contribute to the commitment to fight
HIV/AIDS among politicians,
scientists, healthcare administrators,
medical workers, and public opinion
leaders.
http://www.eecaac.org/en/news.phtml
?id=71
Russians opt for safer sex
"Your life. Your body. Your choice..."
this is the message of this year's
World Contraception Day. The
international event has a particular
resonance for Russia where abortion
figures are truly shocking: four out of
five teenage girls who get pregnant
have a termination.
Events throughout the country have
been organized to raise awareness
about contraception amongst the
Russian youth.
In Moscow, people gathered for a
rally organized by the
ministry of healthcare and
nongovernmental group "Girls thinking
about the future". They expressed
their concern over the issue of family
planning. As Anastasia Karimova -
the group's coordinator - pointed out,
for every 100 births in Russia there
are 96 abortions, which, according to
her, is harmful for both - individual
women and society as a whole.
"There were quite a lot of abortions in
the Soviet times. I know people
who've done it 7 or 8 times because
of poor contraception methods, and
can't have children now. Today
people can choose from a great
variety of contraceptives. We want to
help them break old stereotypes and
use protection," says the coordinator.
Every time a woman has an abortion,
she puts any future child-bearing at
risk. In light of the current
demographic crisis this could have a
major impact on Russia's future
population.

"Russia is currently in quite a difficult
demographic situation. The
population is decreasing and
solving the problem of
barrenness and other health
issues connected with
reproduction is vital
for its survival"--says
Boris Lordkipanidze from the
World Health Organization.
The world events' organizers claim
that many of those who have
unplanned children are less likely to
be loving parents. Their thinking is
that using protection not only
preserves your health, but your future
home-life as well.
The idea has gained support of many
groups within Russian society.
September 26, 2008
Read more:
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news
/31034
Tajikistan
Dushanbe to host international
healthcare exhibition in early
October
29.09.2008
Author: Mavjouda Hasanova
DUSHANBE, September 29, 2008,
Asia-Plus -- The 4th International
Healthcare Exhibition, DIHE 2008, will
be held at the Kokhi Vahdat State
Complex in Dushanbe from October 7-
9.
Representative from the company
ITECA Osyo (UK), which is coorganizer
of the exhibition along with
ITE E&C Ltd, said that some 30
companies from 15 countries, including
Hungary, Belgium, Iran, China, Russia,
Ukraine, Sweden, Armenia, Japan,
Germany, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan
and Uzbekistan, are expected to take
part in the exhibition. China will take
part in the exhibition for the first time
They will put on display their
achievements in the health industry at
the fair. The Dushanbe International
Healthcare Exhibition (DIHE) will bring
together all the key players under one
roof, providing exhibitors with a
compelling networking opportunity to
precisely target relevant budget-holders
in the shortest time possible and at an
affordable cost, the source said.
The official supporters of the exhibition
are the Health Department within
President’s Executive Office, Ministry of
Health (MoH), Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, State Center for Medical
Expertise, Certification of
Pharmaceutical Products & Medical
Equipment, and Dental Association of
Tajikistan
Profile for exhibit include Hospital
Equipment & Supplies, Electromedical
Equipment, Commodities and
consumer goods for surgeries and
hospitals, Premises and building
technology, Analytical Services (Lab
Instruments, Glassware & Lab
Chemicals, Laboratory Equipment &
Clinical Chemistry, Premises and
building technology.
Organizers expect some 4,000
representatives of health sector from
the CIS states and other countries to
visit the exhibition.
Established in 1991, ITE is recognized
as the leading organizer of events in
emerging markets. Expansion through
organic growth; launching new events
coupled with a number of acquisitions
and joint ventures has increased the
number and variety events in the ITE

portfolio. This expansion has also
increased the number of opportunities
available to companies with the vision
and ambition to grow their business in
emerging markets. ITE is now involved
in organizing over 150 events per year
in over 20 countries.
http://www.asiaplus.tj/en/news/43/3948
8.html
The only center for disabled children
in GBAO may be closed
18.09.2008
Author: Shonavruz Afzalshoyev
KHOROG, September 18, 2008, Asia-
Plus -- The Khorog-based Center
Nour, which is the only center for
children with physical disabilities in
Gorno Badakhshan, may be closed
because of lack of funds, the center
director Kamol Shanbezoda said in
an interview with Asia-Plus.
The center for rehabilitation of
disabled children has worked in
Khorog for several years honorary.
“Three years ago, with support of
foreign private investors and local
authorities, a special building was
constructed for the center, which is
now house for 37 disable children,”
said Shanbezoda, “The allocated
funds and inconsiderable donations
of private individuals have been
spent for purchasing furniture and
equipment as well as staffing
personnel.”
According to him, the center has not
yet been included on the list of
organizations receiving funds from
the budget as it was promised.
912.html
Health minister to visit Rasht
Valley’s districts
25.09.2008
Asia-Plus -- The Minister of Health
Nusratullo Salimov intends to visit a
number of districts in the Rasht
Valley, eastern Tajikistan from
September 27 to October 4,
according to press service of the
Ministry of Health (MoH).
The minister will bring a bulk of
humanitarian aid with him for local
medical facilities. The assistance will
include medicines and medical
equipment, according to the press
service.
During his stay in the region, Salimov
will also attend ceremonies of
opening of a number of medical
facilities.
It is to be noted that deputy health
ministers Azam Mirzoyev and
Sohibnazar Rahmnov as well as a
number of other health officials are
currently on a working visit to the
Rasht Valley.
357.html
USAID, MoH sign MoU on
cooperation in health care
26.09.2008
Author: Daler Ghufronov
Asia-Plus -- To improve program
management and cooperation in
Tajikistan's healthcare sector, USAID
Regional Director William Frej and
Minister of Health Nustratullo Salimov
on September 26 signed the first
memorandum of understanding (MoU)
between governments of Tajikistan and
the United States, press release issued
by the US Embassy in Dushanbe said.

The MoU presents the overarching
framework for $5.1 million allocated for
health and education programs carried
out by USAID implementing partners.
Noting that healthcare is the
centerpiece of the U.S Government's
development strategy, Mr. Frej said,
"USAID is committed to helping the
Government of Tajikistan implement its
National Strategies and to supporting
international cooperative efforts to
make quality healthcare available for
more Tajiks."
USAID currently is engaged with the
Ministry of Health in eight high priority
programs throughout Tajikistan: the
Central Asian Program for AIDS Control
and Interventions Targeting Youth and
High-Risk Groups (CAPACITY);
improving reproductive health (“I
Know!” Project); expanded utilization of
quality health care (ZdravPlus II); the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) Epidemiological
Project; tuberculosis control program
for Central Asia (Project HOPE); Food
for Peace (CARE, Mercy Corps, Save
the Children); Regional family planning
(JSI); and Personal Hygiene and
Sanitation Education (PHASE II).
USAID and the ministry will launch two
more projects in the next few months,
STOP Avian Influenza and Scaling up
Maternal and Child Health (MCH).
USAID supports strengthening public
sector capacity to meet international
standards of healthcare provision,
another foreign assistance objective for
developing countries. For instance,
USAID developed clinical guidelines
and pilot projects on arterial
hypertension and birthing practices
proven to improve health. USAIDfunded
Centers of Excellence for
primary health care train family
physicians from several areas of the
country to provide international
standards of health services. USAID
assisted the Government of Tajikistan
to track the incidence of tuberculosis
nationwide with the Directly Observed
Treatment Short-course, or DOTS, by
supporting implementation in thirteen
districts.
USAID collaborates with the Ministry of
Health to institutionalize the expansion
of health services according to
international standards. For example,
USAID-funded projects helped
introduce World Health Organization
criteria on registering live births into the
medical training courses at
undergraduate and graduate
institutions. At the community level, the
Ministry of Health has taken over the
health promotion activity in 82 villages
formerly supported by USAID’s Healthy
Family project.
Since 1993 the American people
through USAID have provided about
$300 million in assistance programs
that support economic growth,
democratic institutions, health care, and
education systems of Tajikistan.
3.html
USAID has launched its Stamp Out
Pandemic and Avian Influenza
(STOP AI) Project in Central Asia
24.09.2008
Asia-Plus -- On September 15, the
United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) launched its new
STOP AI program for Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan, press release issued
by the US Embassy in Dushanbe on

September 24 said.
“This project will help Central Asia’s
governments and poultry producers
protect their citizens and economies
from the serious consequences that
can result from even a limited outbreak
of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza,”
said William Frej, USAID Regional
Mission Director for Central Asia during
the official opening ceremony in
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Central Asian countries import large
amounts of poultry from China, Iran,
Russia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, all
of whom have reported outbreaks of
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
Additionally, March 2006 avian
Influenza outbreaks in poultry in
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan also point
at the threat that the infection poses to
the health, food supply, and incomes in
the region.
The USAID STOP AI project will
provide export assistance and
resources for planning, surveillance,
control, and prevention of Avian
Influenza, as well as in preparedness
to possible outbreaks, and recovery
of the affected sectors after the
outbreaks. The project will also
promote human safety measures for
those working with infected birds and
during the outbreaks in general.
The STOP AI project was launched
with a five-day training for 25
veterinarians and health specialists
from all five Central Asia’s countries.
Participants learned about the
internationally-recommended
procedures for Avian Influenza
diagnostics and decontamination,
including collection of samples,
testing, as well as storage and
transportation of the samples.
USAID provided $23,000-worth of
protection and diagnostic equipment
to facilitate the training. The project
plans that upon their return home,
training participants will teach these
procedures to their colleagues in
each country.
The STOP AI project is one of the
many assistance projects in Central
Asia, provided by USAID on behalf of
the American people. Since 1992 the
American people through USAID
have provided over $1.5 billion in
assistance programs that support
economic growth, democratic
institutions, health care, and
education systems in the region.
274.html

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