Investing In People

USAID provided technical assistance for the nationwide roll-out of activities related to high-quality primary health care, evidence-based medicine, and per-capita financing, whereby health facilities receive funding based on the number of patients they serve.  The new approach rewards those facilities that attract the highest numbers of patients, thus encouraging quality care.  The per-capita system now finances 3,200 rural primary health care facilities—almost the entire rural primary health care sector.  Eighteen hospitals across the country have been certified as baby friendly, and nearly 400,000 women have improved their child care and health practices.  USAID assisted with implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy for tuberculosis (TB) control, including electronic surveillance activities and improvement of TB laboratory capacities.  USAID helped to expand access to education for children with disabilities, who are frequently disenfranchised from society, through support for community-based and institutional care.  Currently, USAID helps Uzbekistan’s governmental and nongovernmental organizations to improve HIV and TB prevention and treatment services for the most at-risk populations to prevent the spread of these diseases.