Child Survival in Azerbaijan

An Azeri woman stands with her children, waiting to receive valuable medical advice from Mercy Corps staff. Photo: Peggy Arrington

As I indulge myself at a luxury hotel in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku, I cannot believe the contrast between it and what I have just experienced during my trip to the remote mountain regions of Masalli, Yardimly and Lerik, Azerbaijan.

My husband and I had recently arrived in Azerbaijan to work for a month with Mercy Corps. Upon learning that every week a team of doctors and other staff members from Mercy Corps make the four-hour journey to their office in Masalli in order to implement the Child Survival Project (CSP), I eagerly signed up to go along. Little did I know what was in store for me!

Suleyman, the Mercy Corps driver and logistician, was my sole companion on the drive. We set off in good spirits with some lively radio music filling the gaps in our stumbling attempts at conversation, since I speak no Azeri and Suleyman knows only some English. The highway took us past miles of oil derricks and flat wastelands before opening up into sparsely vegetated sandy plains.

About halfway to Masalli, we were extremely fortunate to come across a herd of 20 wild dromedary camels grazing alongside the road. I understand this is a rare treat. As we got closer to our destination, the lovely towering mountains could be seen emerging in the distance and the verdant green of the vegetation attested to the rich fertility of the region. Upon our arrival in Masalli, I was introduced to the various Mercy Corps staff members and then settled into my hotel next door.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Breakfast was served in a cheerful room decorated with plastic flowers and a stuffed fox with a rabbit in its jaws. The meal consisted of warm, crusty local bread, the most delicious blackberry jam I have ever eaten, yogurt and tea. After eating, I headed over to the Mercy Corps office where we split into two teams in order to cover as many villages as possible.

My group consisted of me, Suleyman, Dr. Khuraman (a female pediatrician) and Jake, a local Peace Corps volunteer who was on his day off and agreed to translate for me. As we left the sprawling town limits and began our ascent into the mountains, I was thrilled at the lush greenery and thick forests. Soon the forests gave way to soft emerald meadows speckled yellow with mustard and flecked with the startling red of poppies. Rambling herds of cattle, sheep and horses were everywhere and, at times, Suleyman was abruptly stopped by an obstinate cow sleeping in the road.

Women decked in brightly colored dresses and ever-present headscarves dotted the landscape as they tilled fields or herded the cattle. Black suited men and bearded older men sporting the Russian hats of yore strode by or sipped tea at roadside stands. Immaculately dressed children on their way to school stared with fascination at our presence.

The people in this region are called the Talish and reportedly boast the world’s oldest living persons. One woman who is still alive, having outlived her children, is 135 years old! Nevertheless, infant mortality here is the highest in the country.

In 2001, Mercy Corps was awarded the Child Survival Project, funded by USAID. The primary goal of this project is to enable the local population to develop sustainable healthcare practices that will decrease the high infant mortality rates. This is accomplished by focusing on family planning, nutrition and breast feeding, reduction of diarrhea and pneumonia and proper maternal and newborn care.

Mercy Corps is the only non-governmental organization (NGO) serving in these remote areas. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Health has enlisted the organization’s support in providing immunization for preventable diseases. The Rostopovich Fund is currently financing the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine for all Azeri children. Prior to Mercy Corps’ involvement, no vaccines were available to these villages.