5 years of partnership for health in Astana

ASTANA. April 30. KAZINFORM USAID and its project ?ZdravPlus,? ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians, the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, and the Astana City Health Department are celebrating 5 years of joint health care projects in Astana. The event marking the completion of these projects took place on April 29 at the National Scientific Maternal Child Health Center in Astana.
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Since 2004, ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. (ExxonMobil) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have funded five consecutive projects with a total value exceeding $400,000 to increase the access of Astana residents to quality health care. These projects were implemented by the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians and the USAID project ?ZdravPlus? in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Astana Akimat, its Health Care Department, and the National Scientific Maternal Child Health Center. ?This alliance between USAID, ExxonMobil, and medical institutions of Astana is an excellent example of the progress that can be achieved when governments and the private sector come together in support of a common goal,? said Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland at the five-year celebration of this partnership. The projects promoted the principles of evidence-based medicine and compliance with international standards, as well as provided medical professionals with the tools to implement them. Through these projects, international and local experts have trained 445 gynecologists, midwives, and neonatologists from two women?s consultation centers, and every maternity hospital, doctors and nurses from primary health care facilities in Astana on effective perinatal care practices and child health. As a result, 12,000 women annually give birth in maternity wards that implement safer practices and many more mothers and children receive better primary health care. In 2004-2006, the partnership worked to decrease morbidity and mortality among children in Astana by improving prevention of the most common childhood diseases. The projects provided essential medical equipment to primary health care facilities, conducted public education campaigns, and trained pediatricians and family doctors in evidence-based medicine. From 2006 to 2009, the partnership helped health care facilities move towards less medicalized and more patient-centered care. Medical professionals and faculty were trained on effective perinatal care and continuous quality improvement methods, while media campaigns educated expectant couples and their families on safe motherhood issues. The projects also helped open three birth-preparedness schools which are being replicated nationwide. The six Resource Centers the partnership helped open in Astana provide medical specialists with access to evidence-based information to continue improving quality of care. ?ExxonMobil is committed to contributing to the development of the community, in which we live and work,? said Patricia Graham, ExxonMobil?s Director for Public Affairs and Government Relations. ?We focus our sponsorship on projects that will have a long-term, positive and far-reaching impact on the community to facilitate economic and social progress. We are proud that the Mother-and-Child Health Partnership has contributed to the strategic state objective of reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality?, a press-release of the USAID ZdravPlus Project reads. Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world's leading oil and gas company operating through its affiliates in almost 200 countries around the globe including Kazakhstan. One of the company?s core strategies is contributing to the development of communities where it operates. Website: www.exxonmobil.com USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is a leading U.S. Government agency responsible for development assistance to other countries. It has been helping Kazakhstan since 1992 to develop its economy, healthcare, and democratic institutes. Website: http://centralasia.usaid.gov. The Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians (KAFP) advocates for strengthening family medicine and primary health care, supporting and promoting high quality health care services to the population. KAFP was funded in 1998 and currently works through 15 branches and more than 800 active members. Website: www.kzfamilydoctor.org
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