22 September, 2017, Dushanbe, Tajikistan – Within the grant aid agreement between the Government of Japan and UNFPA aimed at strengthening the health system in Tajikistan a handover ceremony of medical equipment and essential reproductive health commodities took place at the National Scientific-Research Institute for Obstetric Gynecology and Pediatrics of Tajikistan.

The ceremony was attended by Hon. Hayriniso YUSUFI, Vice-Speaker of the Parliament,  Dr. Nasim Khoja OLIMZODA, the Minister of Health and Social Protection of Population (MoHSPP), H.E. Mr. Hajime KITAOKA, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Tajikistan, Hon. Prof. Keizo Takemi, Chairperson of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, and Ms. Mieko YABUTA,  Country Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Tajikistan. Number of parliamentarians and officials from the Ministry of Health were present at the ceremony.

During the ceremony held in the frames of the joint project on “Strengthening National Family Planning Services” medical supplies, commodities, and equipment worth of US$ 300,000.00 were handed over to the MoHSPP of Tajikistan. The aim of the project is to ensure supply and availability of quality and accessible Family Planning (FP) services to population. The project will address demand for quality health care and FP services according to people’s intentions and individual families’ plans.

“International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994 reaffirmed the rights of every woman and man to decide freely the timing and the number of children they wish to have and the responsibility of the Governments to enable their citizen to exercise their Reproductive Rights. FP is an essential part of maternal and child health care and helped to reduce maternal and infant mortalities in Tajikistan and in the world. That is why the GoT is committed to make FP services effective and sustainable and it has been one of the key components of UNFPA’s support in Tajikistan from the first year of its operation.” noted in her speech Ms. Mieko Yabuta.

Recognizing the importance of the family planning services, the Government of Tajikistan started state budget allocation for essential reproductive health commodities procurement in 2016.  The commodities and equipment handed over to the MoHSPP within the joint project of the Government of Japan, UNFPA and MoHSPP will supplement the state funding to accompany the Government’s efforts to make reproductive health family planning services sustainable.

Key facts on FP (WHO, December 2016)

• An estimated 225 million women in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of family planning;

• FP methods reduce the recourse to abortion, especially unsafe abortion;

• By preventing unintended pregnancies, FP methods prevent deaths of mothers and children;

• FP reinforces people’s rights to determine the number and spacing of their children;

• Some FP methods help prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

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The United Nations Population Fund: Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.