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Euronews
11 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
How Uzbekistan is reforming support for vulnerable citizens
Uzbekistan is moving fast to modernise how it supports its most vulnerable citizens, with a two‑year overhaul that is already reshaping daily life for tens of thousands of families. Since 2023, the Central Asian country has pulled dozens of previously scattered welfare, disability, and anti‑poverty schemes into a single structure under the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP). Officials say that merging services under one digital backbone is starting to deliver faster help, clearer accountability, and a focus on outcomes rather than paperwork. Officials and aid workers alike stress that reforms are not yet complete. Yet early results suggest that the shift to a digital, integrated system has helped more than 92,000 disabled people find jobs and about 10,000 people become more independent. One of the new initiatives is the national Registry of Persons Requiring Care, which launched in early 2023 and now includes 17,800 profiles of people unable to manage daily life alone. Each quarter, a local triad of family doctors, social workers, and neighbourhood representatives reviews every record, removing names when they no longer need support. More than 10,000 names have been removed to date, including 2,100 people who regained independence and 5,900 who re‑entered work, volunteering, or family networks. Even among those still receiving help, almost 14,000 have reduced their level of dependency. Through the programme, subsidised medicines now reach patients before their chronic conditions worsen, home adaptations are installed before accidents occur, and relatives receive counselling to rebuild family ties. In 2024 alone, 14,800 subsidised medicine packages were delivered, people got 10,800 full medical check‑ups, and there were 3,000 home adaptations. 'When we found out about my wife's diagnosis, I immediately turned to our local mahalla committee and the district clinic,' Vladimir Khan, whose wife is certified as a first‑degree disability beneficiary, told Euronews. 'The social worker handled everything: he quite literally took us by the hand and guided us through each step. He came in person, saw our situation, and truly understood what we needed,' Khan said. After his wife was officially granted disability status, she received a wheelchair, began receiving her medication through a clinic, and started going to regular medical check-ups. The couple also received some money. While they are still facing financial problems, Khan said the social worker's efficiency and personal touch have been crucial. 'Now I know we're not alone, and that the system can work when it reaches the people who need it,' Khan said. Disability rights on the forefront Uzbekistan has also dismantled an outdated certification process that once forced people with disabilities into lengthy hospital stays and provincial queues. A new 'functionality scale' focuses on daily abilities rather than diagnoses. District level teams, including paediatricians, now carry out assessments closer to home, sparing more than 150,000 people an exhausting journey to regional medical commissions each year. The catalogue of assistive devices has doubled to 38 items, from child wheelchairs to bionic hands. Delivery times have shrunk four‑fold and the number of certified suppliers has grown five times over. About 104,000 devices were delivered in 2024. Thousands of people with disabilities have enrolled in school, joined sports clubs, or secured jobs. A safety net for low-income families A National Registry of Low-Income Families, switched on in 2024, has identified 621,000 households living below the poverty line. Each now has an Individual Service Plan designed by local professionals, combining cash benefits with job placements, schooling support and health care. To date, those plans have delivered nearly two million health services, close to one million employment services and hundreds of thousands of educational and legal interventions. Dildora Ismoilova, a social worker in Tashkent, described the case of a man who had been living on the streets for years. The programme helped him access full medical treatment, a disability pension, and new documents, and he will soon secure permanent housing. 'Seeing that level of transformation from isolation to reintegration, is why we do this work,' Ismoilova said. Groups that work with low-income families said the creation of the National Agency for Social Protection was long overdue. 'Now we finally have a central institution that brings together areas of social support that were previously fragmented – from disability services to elderly care,' said Gulnoza Gafurova, co-founder of the nongovernmental group Kapalak Bolalar, which provides medical and social assistance to people with rare genetic skin disorders. 'The very existence of the agency is already a major step toward building an effective social environment in Uzbekistan,' Gafurova added, noting that previous projects helped show that private charities and public services can work together to boost efficiency, fundraising, and transparency. Reaching citizens in need Mansur Allayarov, director of the National Agency for Social Protection, said citizens can apply for services using the mobile app Mylhma, and local social workers can also register them digitally so they do not have to travel to fill out paperwork. Hotlines remain an essential part of the system as well, with lines for general support, benefit applications, and women and children facing violence, he said 'We wanted to make sure that social services reach people not only in cities but also in the most remote areas,' Allayarov said. Looking ahead, the agency is expanding its digital reach with an 'AI-powered upgrade' to the general support call centre, including voice assistants in Uzbek, Russian, and Karakalpak and additional help for callers with speech impairments, Allayarov said. Still, challenges remain. 'The biggest one is ensuring that our digital infrastructure keeps pace with growing demand', Allayarov said. 'That means strengthening cybersecurity, improving data integration, and ensuring updates happen in real time'.
Economic Times
11-08-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Nearly 1 in 5 food samples, including popular chocolates, fail quality tests
Food safety inspections in India revealed that many chocolate samples did not meet required standards. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India conducted nationwide surveys. They found violations in nearly 20% of chocolate samples tested. The regulator is also focusing on e-commerce food platforms. They are warning them to comply with safety protocols. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads E-comm food chains face strict warnings If you thought chocolates were always a safe indulgence, think again. Nearly 20% of food samples tested in India during 2024–25 — including popular chocolate brands — failed to meet required safety standards, the government told the Lok Sabha, reported findings came from nationwide surveys conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which flagged chocolates among the most concerning categories in its Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav revealed that FSSAI, through its four regional offices and state/UT authorities, regularly conducts targeted drives such as the National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP), along with inspections and random food products are found to violate safety norms, the regulator takes punitive action against the responsible 2024–25, over 1.7 lakh samples were analysed, of which 34,388 were deemed non-conforming and legal cases were filed in 31,407 instances, according to the report.A similar pattern emerged in 2023–24, when roughly the same number of samples were tested and 33,808 failed to meet chocolates and packaged goods, FSSAI has set its sights on India's booming e-commerce food July, the regulator warned leading platforms of 'severe action' if they failed to comply with safety a meeting attended by more than 70 representatives from major e-commerce players, FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao ordered all platforms to prominently display their FSSAI license or registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash also called for details about the Food Safety Connect App to be printed on consumer-facing documents, and for full disclosure of warehouse and storage facility information on the FoSCoS regulator is pushing platforms to explore displaying expiry dates directly on consumer interfaces and has made hygiene training mandatory for all food handlers, including delivery personnel, under the FoSTaC programme. All warehouses linked to e-commerce food operations must also be licensed or registered with the FSSAI.
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Nearly 1 in 5 food samples, including popular chocolates, fail quality tests
Live Events E-comm food chains face strict warnings (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel If you thought chocolates were always a safe indulgence, think again. Nearly 20% of food samples tested in India during 2024–25 — including popular chocolate brands — failed to meet required safety standards, the government told the Lok Sabha, reported findings came from nationwide surveys conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which flagged chocolates among the most concerning categories in its Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav revealed that FSSAI, through its four regional offices and state/UT authorities, regularly conducts targeted drives such as the National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP), along with inspections and random food products are found to violate safety norms, the regulator takes punitive action against the responsible 2024–25, over 1.7 lakh samples were analysed, of which 34,388 were deemed non-conforming and legal cases were filed in 31,407 instances, according to the report.A similar pattern emerged in 2023–24, when roughly the same number of samples were tested and 33,808 failed to meet chocolates and packaged goods, FSSAI has set its sights on India's booming e-commerce food July, the regulator warned leading platforms of 'severe action' if they failed to comply with safety a meeting attended by more than 70 representatives from major e-commerce players, FSSAI CEO G. Kamala Vardhana Rao ordered all platforms to prominently display their FSSAI license or registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash also called for details about the Food Safety Connect App to be printed on consumer-facing documents, and for full disclosure of warehouse and storage facility information on the FoSCoS regulator is pushing platforms to explore displaying expiry dates directly on consumer interfaces and has made hygiene training mandatory for all food handlers, including delivery personnel, under the FoSTaC programme. All warehouses linked to e-commerce food operations must also be licensed or registered with the FSSAI.
Time of India
10-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Chocolates among 20% of food samples found substandard: Govt
Parliament monsoon session NEW DELHI: Nearly 20% of food samples, including chocolates, were found to be non-conforming (to the desired standards) in surveys carried out by the food regulator in 2024-25, government told Lok Sabha. Junior minister for health Prataprao Jadhav said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) - India's apex food regulator - through its four regional offices and state/UT food safety authorities, conducts regular localised and targeted special enforcement and surveillance drives, including National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP), inspections and sampling activities, throughout the year. If any deviations from the standards or violations to Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR) are observed, the defaulting food business operators (FBOs) are subject to regulatory action, including punitive measures. In a written reply to a Parliament question, Jadhav said 1.7 lakh food samples were analysed in 2024-25. Of these, 34,388 were found to be non-conforming and cases were launched in 31,407 cases. In 2023-24 too, approximately 1.7 lakh samples were analysed and 33,808 of them were found to be non-conforming, the minister said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elysian Fields archers target national title in Myrtle Beach
ELYSIAN FIELDS, Texas (KTAL/KMSS)—A group of Texas student-athletes can travel to South Carolina for a national championship, but need the community's help. For the first time in school history, members of the Elysian Fields Elementary and Middle School archery teams have earned spots in the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) World Championship, which will be held June 5 -7 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Amanda Bellar is a parent of a middle school archery team member and contacted KTAL News to help share the team's aspiration of traveling to and hopefully capturing a national championship. A GoFundMe was started to help the team's qualifying archers travel from East Texas to South Carolina. While they represent the school, the archery team is self-funded; everything from shirts to competition fees is paid by families, which is why supporting the team through its fundraising efforts is critical. As the GoFundMe description explains, all donated funds will be split evenly between the archers who attend the world championship. Community members interested in sending these talented, hard-working, and highly skilled athletes who have 'spent countless hours perfecting their skills' to their championship destination can contact Coach Ms. Sabrina Scott or donate directly to the team's GoFundMe. The team's fundraising goal is $2.4K, and they are slightly more than 60% toward it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
