CHECHNYA AND

NEIGHBOURING REPUBLICS
Health Sector Needs
Assessment
Residents and Internally Dis-
placed Persons (IDPs) in Ingush-
etia (400,000), IDPs in Dagestan
(10,000), and residents in Chechnya
(up to 800,000) benefit from hu-
manitarian assistance. Even with an
increased rate of IDP return in 2004,
an estimated 200,000 IDPs remain
in Chechnya, with 10-20% of these
concentrated in Temporary Accom-
modation Centres (TACs). Approxi-
mately half of the population in the
region lives in conditions of material poverty. Essential medical diagnostic and laboratory
equipment and support in the physical rehabilitation of primary health facilities continue
to be high on the list of needs.

Health services: The unstable environment increases the number of adolescents

and children in need of professional psychological care. Anxiety, social dysfunction and
depression are common, and many qualified health workers have left the Republic of
Chechnya. Health indicators for the first half of 2004 are stagnating, if not deteriorating,
compared to 2003. Infant mortality is 29.4 / 1,000. Of the children aged under one year
who die, 40% die at home before having reached any medical care. General clinical ex-
aminations in schools in Chechnya and neighbouring republics find stunted growth and
many children underweight.

Disease surveillance and control: Migration and displacement paired with lack of
education and employment have been associated with the spread of sexually transmit-
ted disease and risk behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse. To curb the threat of an
epidemic proportion of HIV/AIDS and STIs, local health authorities regard health promo-
tion and health education activities as high priority. The relocation of thousands of IDPs
into TACs with a shortage of potable water, lack of adequate sanitation, crowded living
conditions, and poor waste removal expose the population to increased risk of communi-
cable diseases. Vaccination coverage of IDPs and the general population is dangerously
low. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious public health issue for the year 2005. Migra-
tion to and from Chechnya of infected and/or partially treated patients increases the risk
of spreading the disease. Partially treated returnees cannot be followed up properly,
increasing the risk of multi-drug resistance and spread.

Mines: War trauma and injuries due to land mines and unexploded ordnance continue
to claim victims, who need both physical and mental rehabilitation.
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 CHECHNYA AND NEIGHBORING REPUBLICS
Health Sector Priorities for 2005
•Improve the access and the quality of preventive and curative services at primary and
secondary level with a special focus on mother and child health, communicable disease
control and mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation
•Raise health awareness of the population in general and of youths and adolescents in
particular, through health promotion activities

Funds Implementing
WHO Proposed Projects for 2005
Requested Partners
Reproductive health, mother and child MoH of Chechnya
US$ 478,060
health [RUS-05/H25] and Ingushetia
Mental health and psychosocial rehabilita-
US$ 419,760 MoH, SES, NGOs
tion [RUS-05/H26]
MoH, SES struc-
HIV/AIDS and STD prevention [RUS-05/
US$ 384,780 tures, UNICEF,
H24]
NGOs
Strengthening primary health care provi- MoH of Chechnya
sion through communicable disease control US$ 1,049,400 and Ingushetia,
[RUS-05/H22] SES structures
Strengthening health coordination and
information management, institutional MoH, SES Struc-
US$ 524,700
support to emergency preparedness [RUS- tures
05/H23]
UNICEF, PIN, HI,
Mine UXO for survivor assistance [RUS-
US$ 204,050 VoM, LSTG, ICRC,
05/MA04]
Minga, MoH

Total Funds Requested: US$ 3,060,750

2004 Health Sector Major Donors: Canada, European Commission, Nether-

lands, Norway, Private, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

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