Progress Reports

2005

• New Ukrainian Minister of Health informed about Spina Bifida epidemic
• Our partner - Down Syndrome Ukrainian National Charity
• Participation at the 8th European Symposium "Prevention of Congenital Anomalies" (Poznan, Poland)
• "Aspects of Epidemiology of Mother and Child Health Care with Emphasis on Spina Bifida and Related Birth Defects" course by Prof. L. Sever (Texas, USA)
• "Prenatal Ultrasound Markers of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" pilot project in Rivne and Kherson oblasts
• International Children's OMNI-Net Not-For-Profit Organization is incorporated
• Early Intervention Educational and Social Rehabilitation Center for Special Needs Children "Pahinets" - a step to a more tolerant society

2004

• Participation of the Ukrainian-American Birth Defects Program at the 2-nd National Bioethics Congress
• Visit of Ukraine Special Needs Orphanages Fund (USA) team to Rivne and Volyn
• UABDP Reports made at the European Conference of Human Genetics 2004 (Munich, Germany):
• Birth Defects Surveillance and Prevention in Ukraine - Planning, Implementation and Results
• Impact of Resource Centers on Birth Defects Programs in Ukraine
• The Impact of a BD Web Information System (IBIS) on Birth Defects Programs
• Main activities of the Ukrainian-American Birth Defects Program and their results (1999-2003):
• Implementation of Birth Defects Surveillance According to International Standards
• Creation of Child Development and Birth Defects Prevention Informational Resource OMNI-Center Network
• OMNI-Center Network unites 5 regions of Ukraine
• Development of telemedicine via Informational Resource OMNI-Center Network
• Training of physicians
• Participation at international and all-Ukrainian scientific conferences, symposia and workshops
• Active education of medical specialists and public concerning birth defects
• Publishing activities of the OMNI-Center Network
• Improving communications among rayon hospitals, maternity institutions and OMNI-Centers
• Development of first Ukrainian genetic website "I.B.I.S. - International Birth Defects Information Systems"
• Implementation of Modern Methods of Early Intervention and Birth Defects Prevention; Improvement of Care of BD Children and Their Families
• Realization of the Pilot Project "Prevention of Neural Tube Defects Recurrence in High Risk Group Women"
• Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
• Promoting implementation of Children With Special Needs Early Intervention Program
• Development of Oblast Newborns Registries
• Support of Folic Acid Fortification Programs as an Initiative for Improvement of Public Health
• Support of the Alliance for the Prevention of Birth Defects
• "Prevention of Neural Tube Defects Recurrence in Women of High Risk Group" Project
• "Care Improvement and Adaptation to the Society of Families Having Disabled Children with Neural Tube Defects by Means of Free Access to Newly-Made Sources of Information" Project
• Early Intervention Educational and Social Rehabilitation Center for Special Needs Children "Pahinets" was established in Rivne