Minister of Health, UN representatives and partners visit mobile gynaecological clinic in Cheshinovo - Obleshevo

SKOPJE| 24 February 2022 - The Minister of Health, Bekim Sali, representatives of the UN family and representatives of the diplomatic corps visited Cheshinovo- Obleshevo to see the implementation of the mobile gynaecological clinic established to enhance access to gynaecological services, particularly for the most vulnerable women and girls in hard-to-reach areas who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

”The Joint Programme “Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19” in North Macedonia turned out to be a very successful activity towards improving access to sexual and reproductive health, immunization and services to support victims of gender-based violence, as well adolescents, children and people from vulnerable groups and from underserved areas”, says Bekim Sali, Minister of Health. “This would not have been possible without the support of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, in coordination with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the contributions of the Government within the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund and the national partners. For this, I am sincerely grateful!"

For the past three months, the mobile gynaecological clinics have carried out examinations in in several municipalities so far - Sveti Nikole, Vrapchishte, Gradsko, Lozovo, Chashka and Chesihovo Obleshevo. The implementation of the mobile gynaecological services is supported through the project “Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19” in North Macedonia, funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

"One of the greatest values of this programme was the ability to quickly respond to a set of health-related needs, often directly at those at greatest risk and in underserved areas”, says Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “Even more importantly, the activities and services introduced through this joint programme are an investment for the future, for increased quality of health services for all, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19 in North Macedonia” is a joint programme that helped the government improve essential health services within the context of COVID-19 by building on the significant investments already made to strengthen the national health and social systems, contain disease outbreaks, and assure health responses to various emergencies.

The programme has introduced several innovative health services, such as the mobile gynaecological clinics visits to remote areas, including e-immunisation registry that aims to improve data collection and the calculation of immunization coverage rates, and risk communication to immunization-sceptic populations as well as awareness raising among women and girls of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. These improved services address the significant decrease in their provision since the outbreak of COVID-19 and enable more efficient real time collection of policy relevant data on immunization while also contributing to greater professional and public support for vaccination.

The programme targets vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children, particularly those living in remote areas of the country, who have benefit from sexual and reproductive health services, immunization and psycho-social support. The implementation of the programme started in January 2021 and will last through March 2022, with a budget of $850,000 funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

The programme is jointly implemented by three UN agencies - United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World Health Organization (WHO), under the coordination of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and in close partnership with key national partners including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, e-Health Directorate, Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Committee on Safe Motherhood and Healthy New-borns, Macedonian Medical Association, Macedonian Association of Nurses and Midwives, University Clinic of Psychiatry and civil society organizations.

This joint programme is made possible thanks to the contributions to the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund by the governments of Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Finland, Austria, United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, United States of America, Iceland, Croatia, Portugal, Thailand, Slovak Republic, Romania, Cambodia, Cyprus and Philippines.

More info on:

https://northmacedonia.un.org/en/170196-safe-and-innovative-health-services-times-covid-19