UNICEF in Action |
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UNICEF Programmes aims to reverse recent increases
in infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates by providing essential
drugs, vaccines and health equipment and by training health
personnel.
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| An older midwife makes a house call to a pregnant woman, who
stands behind her in a doorway, in the southern town of Masalli,
Azerbaijan. |
UNICEF has also helped to
establish children's rehabilitation centres at the camps for the displaced
in the district of Sabirabad and trains some of the displaced women to run
preschool classes in the camps.
For the years 2000 - 2004,
UNICEF will concentrate its support on five main
programmes:
Health and
Nutrition
UNICEF is planning to extend its support of national health reform and
the decentralization of services. It will also support the
standardization, collection and analysis of health information to provide
a solid basis for planning and policy reform. Cost-effective interventions
will be developed through the adoption of national policies in the control
of diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections (ARI), the two
main killers of children under-five. The reduction of maternal, infant and
child mortality and morbidity rates will receive special emphasis.
Technical guidance will be provided to implement safe motherhood
activities and to improve obstetric care. The increase in unattended home
deliveries will be addressed through the establishment of mother-friendly
and baby-friendly services. Service providers will receive training in
antenatal and postnatal care. UNICEF will focus on maintaining high
immunization coverage, controlling measles and eradicating polio.
The high prevalence of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies will
receive priority attention. Basic nutrition training, highlighting the
importance of child feeding and care practices, will be provided and
growth monitoring will be introduced.
UNICEF will support the universal iodization of salt to combat IDD and
will provide assistance for food fortification to combat iron deficiency
anaemia. The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and the Baby-Friendly
Hospital Initiative will help combat nutritional and micronutrient
deficiencies.
Education
Programme objectives will include the integration of early childcare
and development (ECCD) approaches into both formal pre-schools and
home-care practices, the practical development of the Better Parenting
Initiative (BPI), and improvement of the quality of basic education.
UNICEF will continue to be involved in the education reform process. The
newly established Inter-agency Education Coordination Committee will bring
together education-related national and international organizations to
define ways and means to enhance cooperation among all partners.
While continuing support for formal pre-school, especially through
curriculum improvement, UNICEF will aim at empowering parents through the
BPI multimedia training package. An ECCD coordination council will be
established in the Ministry of Education.
In basic education, incorporating life-skills and advanced teaching
practices will support the existing curriculum. Inter-active learning
methodologies and practices will be introduced and the participation of
children and parents will be encouraged. In-service training will be
organized to upgrade the knowledge and skills of teachers.
Children in need of special protection
UNICEF will advocate for legislative reform and will continue to
support alternatives to institutionalized childcare. Social sector
professionals will be trained to identify children with special needs and
to apply a systematic family approach to their development. Assistance
will also be provided to increase capacities in health, social welfare and
educational institutions, in particular in dealing with psychosocial
rehabilitation. Activities will focus on IDPs and refugees, children with
disabilities, and those with symptoms of chronic stress or trauma.
Assessments of children in institutions will be conducted to provide
policy options in promoting the reintegration of children into families
and society. UNICEF will support the training of teachers and social
workers dealing with disabled children, especially those who have
communication difficulties.
Young
people's health and development
The aim of this programme is to ensure the development of young people
through empowerment and leadership. It will focus on most vulnerable
groups, including IDPs and refugees, and impoverished and marginalized
populations. Collaboration with young people's organizations will be
developed to promote the active participation of adolescents.
UNICEF involvement in the HIV/AIDS country theme group will be further
activated. Activities will focus on the collection and analysis of data
and on the design of activities for young people to help them adopt
healthy lifestyles. UNICEF will also assist in drawing up a national
policy on adolescent health and development issues by an inter-ministerial
task force. Counselling services for young people will be established.
Planning and policy development
This programme will promote the full incorporation of children's rights
and cost-effective approaches into national and sub-national planning and
policy processes. The principal strategy will be to assist in adopting a
national primary health care (PHC) policy. UNICEF will assist national
partners in the development of a database related to children's rights.
Special emphasis will be placed on advocacy for the protection of
social services for children and women. Provisions of the Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and Education for All (EFA)
will be used to promote and influence policy reforms in the health,
education and social protection sectors.
UNICEF will develop a strategy to support the emergency preparedness of
national partners.
The IDP/refugee population
IDP and refugees will be included in all programme/project-related
activities. In addition, specific projects will include:
- The PHC revitalization project,
being implemented in all IDP/refugee settlements. The target population
is 350,000 people living in 15 frontline districts with the conflict
zone with Armenia. This project is being supported by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID).
- The U.S. Government-supported Mine Awareness Project.
Potential beneficiaries are about 350,000 people in eight frontline
districts.
- Early Childhood Care and Development project supports 35
multifunctional centres for children. The project beneficiaries are 4
000 children from 0 to 6-years-old from 35 IDP/refugee camps. This
project is supported also by UNWFP through provision of in-kind
remuneration for staff of the centers (food-for-work).
- Education for Development: Assistance to
Primary Schools in Selected IDP Settlements is a joint project with
UNHCR to improve the capacities of school staff, to introduce modern
teaching methodologies and to assist to rehabilitation and or
construction of school buildings in IDP/refugee settlements.
Additional help to the IDP/refugee population is given in the form of
medical equipment and supplies, health education events, the training of
health staff and teachers working in IDP/refugee regions.
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