The Chernobyl nuclear disaster had serious ecological and socio-economic consequences which continue to harm the health of people living in the contaminated regions to this day.

The neighbouring districts of Bragin, Khoyniki and Narovla in Gomel Region border on the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine and have the highest level of radioactive contamination in Belarus. The 17’000 inhabitants of Bragin, 12’500 of Khoyniki and 24’600 of Narovla are constantly facing this life-threatening, invisible menace.

A very high number of children in these districts have harmful levels of radiation in excess of 50 becquerels per kilogramme of body weight. The high illness figures – particularly the numerous cases of thyroid cancer among children – illustrate the urgent need for therapeutic and preventive measures in health care.

The health system in Belarus concentrates on treatment by specialists in hospitals and is not yet geared to decentralized basic medical services, with the result that only 10 % of all doctors are general practitioners, paediatricians or specialists in internal medicine.

This prompted the SDC Cooperation Office, in conjunction with the local hospitals in Bragin, Khoyniki and Narovla, to initiate a project designed to improve the medical care of women and children in these three districts. T

he project activities fall into three categories:

• The three district hospitals and outpatient clinics, as well as the Women's Hospital in Gomel Region, are to be supported with medical facilities and equipment, such as modern ultrasound devices, to improve the care of pregnant women and newborn babies.
• In parallel, specialized workshops were organized on ultrasound diagnosis, basic medical care and neonatology for the obstetricians and gynaecologists, paediatricians and general practitioners who work in these institutions.
• The inhabitants of the two districts of Bragin and Khoyniki were given courses on a healthy lifestyle and ways of protecting themselves against contamination, with pregnant women and young mothers as the main target group. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with doctors, teachers and specialists in auxiliary medical sciences as their members –"The Sprout of Life" in Bragin, "Community Development Projects" in Gomel and “Rays of Health” in Khoyniki – were founded to backstop these courses..