Danish Crown Princess Mary to visit Tajikistan to promote mother and child health, immunization

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will visit Tajikistan on 23–25 October 2014, as Patron of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. With Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, she will advocate increased regional and national investment in maternal and child health and stronger immunization efforts.

As part of her three-day official visit, the Crown Princess will meet high-level officials, including representatives of the office of the President and the Government, members of parliament and representatives of United Nations agencies, the donor community and health workers.

She will visit several health care facilities, including a paediatric hospital in the capital city of Dushanbe, a child rehabilitation centre, the national reproductive centre and a district hospital in Varzob, where she will launch an immunization day. The Crown Princess is also expected to address a health forum at the Tajik State Medical University.

Work as Patron

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark became Patron of the WHO Regional Office for Europe in 2005. Since then she has been active in raising awareness of public health issues through, for example, keynote addresses at major WHO events, visits to countries, public statements and articles.

In addition to her engagement in maternal and child health and immunization, the Crown Princess advocates initiatives against antimicrobial resistance.

Additional information

Average rates of maternal mortality in countries of the WHO European Region have declined from an estimated 35 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1990 to 16 in 2013. Nevertheless, there is a forty-fold difference between the countries with highest and lowest national rates in the Region.

The European Region includes not only countries with the lowest infant and child mortality rates in the world but also those with rates that are 25 times higher. Every year, more than 160 000 children in Europe die before the age of 5, 40% of them in the first month of life.

The European Region’s success with immunization sustained some hard blows in the last 5 years. For example, the number of measles cases rose from 7100 in 2007 to almost 32 000 in 2013. The Region’s goal of eliminating measles and rubella by 2015, deemed achievable when set, is now severely threatened. In addition, many countries’ risk of importing poliomyelitis has been upgraded.

For more information, contact:

In Denmark:

Kirsten Baltzer Kahr
Communications Coordinator
The Communication And Press Department of The Royal Court
Hofmarskallatet, Det Gule Palæ
Amaliegade 18
1256 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tel.: + 45 33 40 25 21
Email: kibaka@kongehuset.dk

Liuba Negru
Media Relations Officer
WHO Regional Office for Europe
UN City, Marmorvej 51
2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
Tel.: +45 45 33 67 89
Email: LNE@euro.who.int  

In Tajikistan:

Tahmina Alimamedova
Communications Assistant
WHO Country Office, Tajikistan
VEFA Center
37/1 Bokhtar Street, Apt. 605, 606, 6th floor
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Tel.: +992 48 701 14 79 (ext. 29),
Tel.: + 992907780119
Email: tal@euro.who.int