Deputy Head of the Head Office, Head Lazar Dmitri Office: 726 Phone number: +375 17 358 65 98

The Department monitors the organization of medical care for the female and child population of the Republic of Belarus.

The main responsibilities of the Department are:

• to determine the priority areas for the development of medical care for women and children;
• to organize the events to improve the health of female and child population;
• to develop  measures to improve the quality of medical care provided for women and children;
• to exercise methodological management of the health care institutions activities, providing medical care for women and children;
• to develop medical targeted comprehensive programs in the most significant areas of medical care for women and children;
• to draw up drafts of normative and other legal acts in accordance with the competence of the Ministry of Health.

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

• organizes activities to improve the provision of medical care for women and children;
• plans and organizes specialized medical care for women and children;
• improves medical care for women and children in the ecologically unfavorable areas;
• organizes activities to improve the quality of dispensary observation for children, pregnant women and women with gynecological pathology;
• studies and analyzes the causes of morbidity in the female and child population, improves the forms and methods of preventive work;
• monitors the implementation of measures to reduce the incidence of the female and child population, infant, child and maternal mortality, antenatal protection of the fetus;
• organizes activities to prevent child disability;
• organizes activities to improve reproductive health, family planning, prevention of abortion;
• organizes activities for the development of medical genetic services and prenatal diagnostics of congenital and hereditary diseases;
• introduces scientific achievements, advanced medical technologies in healthcare institutions providing medical care for women and children;
• participates in strengthening the material and technical base of healthcare institutions providing medical assistance to women and children and their provision with medicines, modern medical technology and equipment;
• offers proposals to improve legislation, develops draft regulatory legal and other acts for medical care provision to women and children;
• monitors implementation of regulatory legal acts governing the work of healthcare institutions providing medical care to women and children;
• participates in the consideration (reviewing) of normative and other legal acts drafts, submitted to the Ministry Health for approval, concerning the female and child population health protection;
• examines citizens' appeals concerning violations in medical care provision to women and children in subordinate health care institutions independently or together with other structural divisions, takes part in the consideration of materials based on the results of inspections;
• takes part in the development of proposals to improve the management system in the Ministry;
• ensures interaction of healthcare institutions and legislative bodies, the executive branch, public and religious institutions to implement measures aimed at improving the working and living conditions of the female population, eliminating their employment in jobs that reduce fertility, conducting family policy, raising the need for a healthy lifestyle and reproduction of healthy offspring, increasing the responsibility of parents and families for raising a healthy child;
• cooperates with WHO, UNICEF and other international institutions on issues of reproductive health, family planning and promotion of maternal and child health.

Protection of mothers and children health is a priority in the work of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.

Solution of the problems for protecting the health of mothers and children is carried out in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care", the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Rights of the Child", the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Matrimony and Family, and other legislative and regulatory legal acts.

Measures aimed at improving the health of women and children, reducing morbidity and mortality, financing health care institutions providing medical care to mothers and children are determined by the current programs: the Presidential Program "Children of Belarus" for 2006-2010, the National Program of Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus for 2007 -2010, the State Program "Prevention of HIV Infection" for 2006-2010, the Health Development Program for 2006-2010 and others.

The Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Rights of the Child" stipulates that every child has an inalienable right to health protection and promotion.

In accordance with Article 184 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus "On Matrimony and Family", children have the right to live in peaceful, safe and dignified conditions.

Children's living conditions should ensure their full physical, mental and spiritual development.

Parents, raising children, are obliged to take care of their health, physical, mental, spiritual development, to introduce them to feasible work and prepare them for independent life.

All children have the right to health protection and free medical care from the state in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. They are under dispensary supervision in state healthcare institutions.

In accordance with Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care", citizens of the Republic of Belarus have the right to affordable medical care by provision of:

• free medical care based on the public minimum social standards in the field of health care in public health care institutions;
• medical care in state healthcare, non-state healthcare institutions and individual entrepreneurs in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, at their own expense, funds of legal entities and other sources not prohibited by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus;
• availability of medicines;
• implementation of measures for sanitary and epidemic welfare of the population.

In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On State Social Benefits, Rights and Guarantees for Certain Categories of Citizens," disabled children under the age of 18 have the right to free provision of medicines according to doctors' prescriptions within the list of essential medicines, the right to free provision of technical means of social rehabilitation in accordance with the State Register.

Minors have the right to free sanatorium resort (spa) treatment (in case of medical indications and absence of medical contraindications) upon the conclusion of the medical and consulting commission of the state health institution.

Minors living on the territory of radioactive contamination have the right to free sanatorium resort (spa) treatment (in case of medical indications and the absence of medical contraindications) or health improvement (if there are no medical contraindications) for a period of up to one month.

The List of diseases that give the right to free provision of medicines dispensed by doctor's prescription within the List of essential medicines for outpatient treatment, as well as medical nutrition, was approved by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Resolution # 1650, dated November 30, 2007, and amended by the Council Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Resolution # 1390, dated 23.10.2009. In accordance with the above List, children suffering from tuberculosis, systemic lesions of the connective tissue, oncological and hematological diseases, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy and a number of other serious diseases are provided with free medicines. Children and pregnant women with phenylketonuria are provided with therapeutic nutritional mixtures free of charge.

In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Health Care", a pregnant woman is guaranteed medical supervision in outpatient and inpatient state healthcare institutions during and after childbirth, as well as medical assistance and medical supervision of newborns.

All women have access to prenatal and postnatal health care. Medical staff of all healthcare institutions, providing medical assistance to pregnant women, have medical education in the field of pregnancy management and childbirth.