According to a new release I received from the World Bank (Why, yes of course, the World Bank corresponds with me often) there is some great news from Tajikistan: New Rural Health Centers that are up and running.
These indicators show what the World Bank can do, in partnership with a willing state:
Health Data At-A-Glance
Infant Mortality Rate:
down to 59.1 from 75.2 per 1000 from 2000 to 2005 (start earlier date)
Under-5 Mortality Rate:
down to 71.4 from 93.3 per 1000 from 2000 to 2005
Source: World Development Indicators 2007
The program that has been implemented in the Danghara and Varzob districts began in 2000: the trains medical care workers to give treatment using a more accessible family medicine model rather than a hospital care model. This allows health care consumers to go to a family practice, where they can have all of their symptoms treated, instead of waiting in line to see one specialist and then another. The new model of health care also reaches out to disadvantaged populations, and also provides a facility for continuing education for medical personnel. Clinicians are beginning to track the health care they give to others in order to measure their performance and describe further needs.
The 2000 program was successful, and was renewed in 2005 to meet medical needs in 41 other districts of Tajikistan. It is part of the 2005-2015 push in Tajikistan to remodel and renew health care in this underserved state: the “Strategy on Health Care Financing Reform”.
So far, according to the World Bank:
1. Four physicians and 178 nurses retrained with family medicine model. Right now, 36 physicians and 81 nurses are currently in training
2. Twenty-six rural health centers built (1 by CARE International):
An additional 74 rural health centers will be rebuilt, and 32 rehabilitated.
Primary Health Care Services and Outreach (jointly with SIDA):
1. Community Mobilization: 20 Village Development Committees established and trained on different health and management/social mobilization topics.
2. Health Education and Outreach Activities: 8000 brochures and 129 videotapes on different health topics distributed.
Now isn't this just the best? You can read about this also in Russian on the World Bank Web site.