Ombudsman meets the head of WHO country office

The Commissioner for human rights of Azerbaijan meets with the newly appointed head of the WHO country office Ms. Fatoş Hande Harmancı at her request.

During the introductory meeting the Commissioner stated the importance of this meeting in the context of promotion of right to health as a priority issue and international cooperation with WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF in the concerned field. The diplomat said that it is necessary to strengthen relationships with the Azerbaijani Ombudsman Office in the frame of two-year agreement with the Government of Azerbaijan, which covers issues of strengthening health system, health insurance services, child and mother’s health, family planning, reproductive health, cardiovascular and oncologic diseases.

“Protection of mothers’ and babies’ health and building strong family relations are national priority issues in the country” said the Commissioner. She also underlined the close link among health of mother, reproductive health and family planning.

Parties discussed the issues on strengening mothers’ and children’s health, protection of reproductive health, early marriages, safe motherhood, breastfeeding, creating favourable condition for healthy fertilization, reducing of child and maternal mortality,  strenghening material and technical base of health institutions providing obstetrics and gynecological services and problems faced by older persons.  

Besides, it was noted that for effective promotion of the right to health of citizens, measures are going on on the way of enhancement of relevant legislation; eventually, the protection of breastfeeding clause was reflected also in the Law on Feeding of Infants and Young  Child. Moreover, it was prepared guidelines for organization of public service in family planning in 2015, which is regularly distributed among health providers and people initiated by Azerbaijan Women and Development Center.    

Ombudsman put forward number of recommendations on improving reproductive health strtaegy; holding of regular series of awareness events on reproductive health and family planning in regions and in refugee and IDP communities and broad audience; enhancing the relevant legislation; growing the awareness, organizing seminars and trainings; preparing and distributing legal publications throughout the country; implementing work of community-based approach as a network;  promoting social protection for young families; strenghening  fight against HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and drug addiction; providing free access to medical care services and consultations for pregnant women, mothers, and infants; making additions and amendments to the relevant legal norms and forwarding them to competent authorities; drafting and aimplementing complex strategies on women rights, prevention of violence against women, early marriages and other important issues and arranging range of events for all groups of population in Baku and regions in cooperation with WHO throughout effectively using capacities of Child and Elderly Resource center and Ombudsman's Regional Centers.  

Parties expressed their confidence that effective cooperation would take place.