Photo: courtesy of UNICEF
UNICEF, with financial support from USAID, is launching a project in Tajikistan that will reach children under the age of five and pregnant and lactating women.
According to UNICEF, despite steady progress in economic development and poverty reduction, malnutrition in the republic remains a serious public health problem, in all its forms and in all sectors of society.
Problems of stunting and wasting persist, while diseases associated with overweight and obesity are on the rise and rates of vitamin and mineral deficiencies remain stagnant. When vulnerable children and women are malnourished at critical moments in life, such as pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life, not only their health and well-being is at stake, but the health of the next generation, putting the entire nation at risk.
To address these challenges and support the government of Tajikistan in combating the triple burden of malnutrition, UNICEF, with funding from USAID, launched a three-year program (2023-2025) to expand services for maternal and child nutrition and care for pregnant women, as well as for lactating women. breastfeeding women, children under the age of five, caregivers and family members of pregnant women and young children. in the Khatlon region and in the city of Dushanbe.
Photo courtesy of UNICEF
“Only through partnership can we support the government of Tajikistan in protecting children’s rights to food and eradicating all forms of malnutrition in the country. We are deeply grateful to the United States government for joining us and intensifying its efforts in support of leading traditionally underfunded area relating to children’s right to adequate food,” said Osama Makkawi Khogali, UNICEF Representative in Tajikistan.
The program aims to increase the availability and quality of high-impact nutritional interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition among children, pregnant and lactating women, with a focus on primary health care.
In addition, it will promote social and behavioral change through innovative, advocacy and communication activities aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition.
“Globally, nearly half of deaths among children under five years of age are attributable to malnutrition, and those children who survive malnutrition have impaired cognitive and physical development. USAID is proud to partner with UNICEF in Tajikistan to improve nutrition of the population of Tajikistan, especially at an early age when it matters most,” said USAID Deputy Administrator Isabelle Coleman.
Over the next three years, with generous support from USAID, UNICEF, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population and other key partners, plans to reach 270,000 children under the age of five and 240,000 pregnant and lactating women through the provision of health care services. nutrition and care through various platforms.
Source: ASIA Plus
