Since 1990, the breakaway region of Transnistria developed separately from Moldova, relying on financial aid from the Russian Federation. Along with political negotiations between the Moldovan and de-facto Transnistrian authorities, joint technical working groups were set up to address developmental challenges, including in the health sector. In the area of mother and child, the healthcare services are still far from meeting the WHO standards, because of the outdated medical practices, obsolete equipment, as well as poor professional and institutional capacity. At community level, there is lack of proper awareness on childcare and on signs of danger during pregnancy and delivery.

Improve access to quality, evidence-based and cost-efficient mother and child healthcare, including perinatal care and immunization in the Transnistrian region.

The direct beneficiaries include health care professionals and service providers in public health, immunization and perinatal care services; health sector authorities; educational and social institutions. The indirect beneficiaries are pregnant women, mothers, newborns, parents, children, community members. Special attention will be paid to the disadvantaged (rural and poor population), whose access to quality health care services is even more limited.

Newborns and mothers from the Transnistrian region benefit from qualitative integrated services during antenatal, intra- and post-partum periods. Vaccine coverage and immunization rates for traditional and new, underutilized vaccines under ''Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization'' (GAVI) graduation conditions improved.

Results from previous phases:  

In 2009 UNDP Moldova, financed by EU, started a program supporting confidence building measures (CBM) between Moldova and Transnistria. It is aimed at creating partnerships and platforms of cooperation between the specialists of both sides. The first intervention in perinatal health in Transnistria, gave positive results: regionalization of services started, medical personnel undergone training, capacity of institutions improved aligning gradually to WHO standards. However, evidence show that only comprehensive actions in perinatology and paediatrics will lead to reducing in a significant way the maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in the region.

Phase 1 01.11.2013 - 29.02.2016   (Completed)