Tajikistan was one of the poorest countries in Asia, even when it was a part of the Soviet Union. After its Independence in 1991 and the Civil War that followed, the situation worsened with the country unable to maintain even what little infrastructure there was, let alone improve it. This was especially so in the Health Sector and especially with regard to facilities and services for children.
The situation was particularly serious in remote districts like Devashtich of the Sughd The
children wards were of the Soviet era and had never been renovated. The hospital lacked basic hygiene and proper sterilization techniques, leading to serious issues of contamination and infection. The tdh Project ‘Access to Quality Healthcare for the Rural Population in Tajikistan’ implemented by a local NGO, Sadoqat, has transformed four children’s wards, providing access to quality health care. It also will train 45 healthcare providers dealing with children’s diseases and 200 local women will be empowered to deal with child nutrition and their well-being.