Head: Dzmitryj Lazar Office no. 726 Tel.: (017) 222‑65‑98

The department oversees the maternal and child health care sector in Belarus.

Our key responsibilities:

• determining the key areas for improving maternal and child health services;
• organizing events on improving maternal and child health and health care services;
• organizing and providing technical support to health care institutions that provide maternal and child health care services;
• developing target integrated medical programmes in the key areas of maternal and child health care;
• developing draft regulations and other legal acts within the competence of the Ministry.

In line with our responsibilities, we perform the following functions:

• holding events on improving maternal and child health care services;
• planning and ensuring specialized maternal and child health care;
• improving maternal and child health care in contaminated areas;
• holding events on improving the quality of follow-up care for children, pregnant women and women having gynaecological diseases;
• conducting morbidity surveys among women and children, improving types and methods of preventive measures;
• supervising the delivery of measures to reduce morbidity among women and children, as well as infant, child and maternal mortality and measures on antenatal protection of foetus;
• holding events on child health improvement and disability prevention, on improving reproductive health, family planning and prevention of abortion, on improving genetic counselling services and prenatal diagnostics of congenital and hereditary diseases;
• integrating scientific breakthroughs and state of the art health care technologies at health care organizations that provide maternal and child health care service;
• improving the facilities at health care organizations that provide maternal and child health care services and planning procurement of medicinal products, modern medical equipment and supplies;
• submitting proposals on improving the legislation, developing draft regulatory and other legal acts on maternal and child health care;
  
• supervising the delivery of regulations on maternal and child health care institutions;
• reviewing draft regulatory and other legal acts on maternal and child health care submitted to the MOH for approval;
  
• reviewing (individually or in cooperation with other units) citizens' appeals on violations by subordinate health care organizations that provide maternal and child health care, as well as reviewing the results of inspections;
• submitting proposals on improving the MOH management system;
• ensuring cooperation between health care organizations and legislative, executive and non-commercial and religious bodies to improve the working and living conditions of women, promoting a healthy family lifestyle and developing a sense of responsibility for healthy child upbringing in parents;
• cooperating with the WHO, UNICEF and other international organizations on reproductive health, family planning and improving maternal and child health care.

Maternal and child health care is the priority of the Ministry of Health.

The measures in the field of maternal and child health care are implemented in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care", the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Child's Rights", the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Marriage and Family and other legislative and regulatory acts.

The following programmes are aimed at improving maternal and child health, reducing morbidity and mortality and providing financial support to maternal and child health care organizations: Presidential programme "Children of Belarus" for 2006-2010, the National Demographic Programme of the Republic of Belarus for 2007-2010, the State Programme on the Prevention of HIV/AIDS for 2006-2010, the Health Care Development Programme for 2006-2010, etc.

The Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Child's Rights" stipulates that every child has an inalienable right to health care and medical assistance.

Under Article 184 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus "On Marriage and Family", children have the right to a decent standard of living and peace and safety.

The standard of living shall be enough to meet their physical, mental and spiritual needs.

When raising children, parents must take care of their health, physical, mental and spiritual development and teach them life and work skills.

All children have the right to health care and free medical assistance provided by the state in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. Children are provided by follow-up care by state health care organizations.

According to Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care", Belarusian citizens have the right to affordable medical care which is provided through:

• free medical care based on the state minimum social standards on health care by state healthcare organizations;
• fee-based medical care provided by state and private health care organizations as well as individual entrepreneurs who provide medical services in compliance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus (paid for by the citizen, by legal entities or from other funds not prohibited by the legislation);
• affordable medicinal products;
• sanitary and epidemiologic services.

According the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On State Social Benefits, Rights and Entitlements for Certain Categories of Citizens", children under 18 years included in the State Registry have the right to free prescription medicinal products on the list of essential medicinal products and free materials and equipment for social rehabilitation.

Minor children have the right to a free health resort stay (whether there are any medical indications or not) when approved by the medical consultative panel of a state health care organization.

Minor children living in regions contaminated by radiation have the right to a free health resort stay (whether there are any medical indications or not) or health improvement (if there are no medical indications) for up to one month.

The list of diseases which give the right to free prescription medicinal products on the list of essential medicinal products for in-patients and clinical nutrition was approved by Order of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1650 d/d November 30, 2007, as amended by Order of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1390 d/d 23.10.2009. Based on the list, children suffering from tuberculosis, systemic lesions of connective tissue, oncology and haematological diseases, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy and several other severe diseases have the right to free medicinal products. Children and pregnant women suffering from phenylketonuria have the right to free nutritional mixtures.

The Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care" provides pregnant women with follow-up care at state health care organizations, in-patient care during and after childbirth as well as neonatal care and follow-up.

All women have access to prenatal and postnatal care. All health professionals working with pregnant women have proper medical qualifications in the field of prenatal care and childbirth.