Chisinau - The Regional Training Course on improving health care services in the field of sexual and reproductive health is organised on September 13 – 16, 2016, in Chisinau. The course is organized by the Reproductive Health Training Centre of Moldova (CIDSR) with the support of the Ministry of Health of Moldova and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

Health specialists from 8 countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova and Ukraine, participate at the training.

The course is conducted by certified specialists from Moldova, who were trained by the United Kingdom Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) in the area of development, adaptation and implementation of clinical guidelines for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

These trainings, which are based on UK expertise, but also on the latest scientific discoveries, come to ensure the improvement of the quality of sexual and reproductive health in Moldova and other Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries, the equal access to both women and men, as well as adolescents, to quality health services and information.

Deputy Minister of Health Liliana Iaşan underlined during the opening ceremony that Moldova is the host of the Regional Course for the third consecutive year. "Based on the experience of previous years, we managed to form a national team of specialists who can actively contribute to the development, adjustment and implementation of clinical guidelines in the field of sexual of reproductive health. That means that obstetricians and gynaecologists in our country will have a defined algorithm based on the best scientific evidence and international standards that would help to conduct a diagnosis and treat efficiently the patient," said the Deputy Minister of Health.

The Regional Centre for Training and Development and Implementation Guidelines and Clinical Protocols Sexual and Reproductive Health was established, with UNFPA support, in 2015 in Chisinau. It is coordinated by the Reproductive Health Training Centre of Moldova (CIDSR) (http://www.sanatateafemeii.md). The training course was developed in cooperation with the East European Institute for Reproductive Health from Romania under the leadership of Dr. Mihai Horga.

Rodica Comendant, the Director of the Reproductive Health Training Centre of Moldova, organizer of the training course, said that "Moldova has been selected by UNFPA as host country for this course due to the results achieved in the area of reproductive and sexual health. The experts from Moldova have been designated trainers for Eastern Europe and Central Asia specialists because of their vast  experience and the international trainings, organized by UNFPA at the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the UK, that they have profited from."

Natalia Cojohari, the UNFPA Deputy Representative, said: "Improving the quality of reproductive health services aims to ensure fundamental rights of citizens, but will also contribute to a positive change in the quality of people's life. UNFPA is committed to continue to support these initiatives."

13 specialists from Moldova were trained so far and another 2 health professionals will be trained in 2016, which would contribute to the consolidation of a national team of experts in order to ensure improved sexual and reproductive health service in Moldova based on the latest scientific evidence and international standards.