In 2023–2024, measles cases were reported across Uzbekistan, with particularly severe situations in Tashkent city, Tashkent region, Kashkadarya, and Namangan regions. Children with chronic illnesses or disabilities succumbed to measles complications. However, in what has been described as a nationwide “measles epidemic,” only doctors from Namangan faced criminal penalties. During a mobile session of the National Anti-Corruption Council held at the Ministry of Health, the Minister stated that the penalties imposed on Namangan doctors were unjust.
The Ministry of Health hosted a mobile session of the National Anti-Corruption Council.
According to a Kun.uz source, during the meeting, Minister Asilbek Khudoyorov told Supreme Court Chairman Bakhtiyor Islomov that the penalties imposed on Namangan doctors in connection with the “measles epidemic” were unfair. He argued that releasing these medical professionals from detention and returning them to public service would be appropriate. The Minister supported his stance by highlighting the significant shortage of epidemiologists in Uzbekistan, noting that 30% of epidemiologist positions in the Sanitary-Epidemiological Service are vacant, and over 50% of active epidemiologists are of retirement age.
Who are the doctors in question?
Since January 2023, measles cases have been recorded in nearly all regions of Uzbekistan, with particularly severe outbreaks in Tashkent city, Tashkent, Kashkadarya, and Namangan regions. This was noted in a report from the Head of the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health, obtained by Kun.uz.
The report was prepared based on an examination of case documents related to a verdict issued by the Namangan City Criminal Court on November 14, 2024. According to this verdict, several officials from Namangan’s Sanitary-Epidemiological Service (SES) and healthcare system were convicted.
Per the court ruling reviewed by Kun.uz, officials M.T., U.M., and Sh.L. from the regional administration falsely reported a “positive” epidemiological situation to the Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, despite 311 measles cases being identified in the province between January and August 2023. The court document states that measures such as identifying and isolating infected patients, hospitalizing them in infectious disease facilities, testing contacts, and implementing vaccination campaigns were not carried out. No epidemiological investigations or medical monitoring of infected patients were conducted. As a result, measles cases surged, particularly among young children, worsening the epidemiological situation. In 2023, 1,912 people in the province contracted measles, followed by 875 cases in January–February 2024. Tragically, 25 children with chronic illnesses died due to measles complications.
