TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 17. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million concessional loan to help Uzbekistan to improve health services for pregnant women and their newborns, Trend reports.
According to ADB, the integrated perinatal care project will help Uzbekistan upgrade about 230 perinatal centers across the country with modern energy-efficient medical equipment, updated clinical standards and protocols, improved capacity of medical staff, and quality assurance mechanisms.
The project will also improve the perinatal referral system and increase access to appropriate and timely life-saving care by strengthening emergency response teams and introducing electronic patient records for early detection of health risks and pregnancy monitoring.
“ADB supports the Uzbekistan's commitment to provide high-quality perinatal health services in Uzbekistan to protect the health of women and children and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in the country,” ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Eugene Zhukov said.
Meanwhile, ADB has provided loans, grants, and technical assistance worth $12.5 billion to Uzbekistan since it's accession in 1995.
Earlier, Uzbekistan and ADB signed a memorandum on the implementation of the program for 2025–2027.
The document states that the program will implement a total of $3.5 billion. The program includes projects that are of mutual interest to both parties and aligns with the Uzbekistan-2030 development strategy.