Various activities were held worldwide on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, dedicated to promoting economic and social development. This year’s theme "Volunteer for an inclusive future", focuses on SDG 10 and the pursuit of equality and inclusion through volunteerism.

It is remarkable that on December 2, 2019, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Law “On Volunteer activity”. The Law fixes the status of a volunteer and a volunteer organization and defines the areas of volunteer activity.

Celebrations dedicated to the International Volunteer Day were also held in Nukus city, in the building of the Karakalpak State Academic Musical Theater named after Berdakh, bringing together about 600 of the most active Community Volunteers from the 10 districts of Karakalpakstan.

As noted during the event, joint efforts by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNV and WHO in the region are carried out to improve the infrastructure and ensure quality healthcare services provision through improving local capacities of the healthcare system.

“With the support of UN Agencies, the construction of a refrigerator for the State Epidemiological Surveillance in Nukus and Urgench has been completed, a vaccine information system has been introduced, rural medical centers in Muynak region were provided with solar panels, and a PAL strategy has been introduced to provide  the standardization, integration and coordination of efforts at primary health-care facilities. As a result of volunteer activities, the level of awareness of the population about various diseases increases. Besides, the district’s health facilities are increasingly being approached by the population, which helps to detect the disease in the early stages”, - stated Mr. Fahriddin Abdullaev, Deputy Health Minister of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

Since 2012 3,710 community health volunteers throughout the region have been trained in hygiene and healthcare, resulting for an improved health awareness of 386,906 people.

The community health volunteers regularly hold individual meetings and introduction sessions with local population raising awareness on the importance of preventing cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory tract ailments as well as the protection of mother and child.

After the official part, the documentary film “Volunteering in Karakalpakstan” was presented to the participants of the event. On the same day, volunteers received memorable prizes and gifts in the following nominations:

• Best volunteer - medical worker-patronage
• Best volunteer - an employee of a village Council of Citizens
• Best volunteer - teacher
• Best volunteer - youth
• Best volunteer - retiree
• Best volunteer - housewife
• Best volunteer - head nurse
• Best Volunteer - senior Nurse

“I am very pleased to receive a prize for the "Best Volunteer Teacher" nomination. I am a teacher at school #29 of the Khojeyli district, thus, we often have information sessions at school involving schoolchildren, teachers as well as their parents. Calendars with thematic information, booklets, sanitary books and posters provided by the Joint Programme help me during the sessions making my presentations more informative and interesting”, - said Kyzlargul Kudiyarova, from the Makhalla Council of Citizens “Nauryz Kumbyz” of Khojeyli District.

The celebration of the International Volunteer Day in Nukus is organized by the UNDP lead - UN Joint Programme “Building the resilience of communities affected by the Aral Sea disaster through the Multi-partner Human Security Fund for the Aral Sea” and the Ministry of Health of Karakalpakstan.