DUSHANBE, April 24, 2013, Asia-Plus – UNICEF together with the Kulob mayor’s office inaugurated a series of rehabilitated and reconstructed facilities in the city of Kulob and villages on April 23.
The opening ceremonies included rehabilitated water supply and sanitation facilitates in Kulob city maternity hospital and Jarqala hospital’s maternity department, as well as constructed general secondary school # 44 in Dahana village.
A joint assessment conducted by UNICEF and the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan in 2012 revealed that two-third of around 66 visited health facilities had no water supply and 90 percent of sanitation facilities required substantial rehabilitation.
Based on the assessment results, geographic location and number of births, the most critical nine health facilities (in Sughd — Kolkhozchiyon, Istaravshan, Ayni; in GBAO — Darvoz, Murgab, Shugnan; in Khatlon – Panj, Jarqala and the city of Kulob) were selected for rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation works costing a total of US$ 250,000 included installation of pumps, water towers and water tanks, complete and partial replacement of water supply and sewage pipelines for external and internal systems, and installation of new sinks, water heaters, baths and toilets.
Nearly all planned rehabilitation works are now completed in the selected maternities, except Shugnan and Murgab in GBAO which due to seasonal weather conditions will be completed by the end of April.
“The rehabilitated water supply and sanitation systems will provide adequate quantity and quality of hot and cold water and safe sanitation to maternal and new-born facilities.
Annually more than 23,000 mothers and new-borns will benefit from the improved water and sanitation system that will ultimately lead to reducing infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates,” says Ms. Laylee Moshiri, UNICEF Representative in Tajikistan.
In 2011, as a result of floods and destruction of school # 44 in Dahana village, UNICEF jointly with the Kulob mayor’s office began the construction of a new school, costing US$375,000 for building and US$ 11,000 for school furnishing and supplies.
Some villages in this area are prone to floods as a result of heavy rainfalls, which require additional reinforcement of water runways, including on a road leading to the constructed school. The Kulob mayor’s office is now closely working with the Kulob water resources state department on the reinforcement works to make the school road safer for children.
“All children need adequate access to education facilities and 400 children that benefit from this constructed school will enjoy their rights to education. Maintaining the school and ensuring its full functioning and safe access also requires the support of the community, including the association of parents in close cooperation with the school administration and local authorities,” said Ms. Laylee Moshiri during the school inauguration.
