Ziroat Mirziyoyeva elected chairperson of the Global Network for Supporting Children with Severe Illnesses

Election in Samarkand

On October 22, 2026, in Samarkand, the First Lady of Uzbekistan, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, was elected chairperson of the Global Network for Supporting Children with Severe Illnesses. The event took place within the framework of the World Summit, which brought together leading specialists from around the world, and the II International Congress on Pediatric Oncology. According to Zamon.uz, the election was assessed as an important step in strengthening international cooperation in pediatric oncology and in uniting efforts to support seriously ill children.

Participants' assessments and the WHO award

Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Vice President of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Director of St. Jude Global, noted that the new global network will make it possible to unite the initiatives of the spouses of heads of state and help remove obstacles to children's treatment. As part of the forum, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva was presented with an award from the World Health Organization for her contribution to the development of global healthcare. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at the ceremony, highly praised her efforts to protect the interests of children, in particular young cancer patients, and emphasized the importance of every child's right to education and a healthy life.

The forum and Uzbekistan's healthcare system

The Samarkand forum focused on the development of Uzbekistan's healthcare system, the introduction of advanced practices in pediatric oncology, and the expansion of international cooperation. According to the data presented, the country is modernizing its medical infrastructure and introducing modern treatment methods: particular attention is being paid to improving treatment outcomes for pediatric oncohematological diseases in specialized centers, raising the qualifications of medical workers, and attracting advanced technologies. The summit was also attended by the first ladies of Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, and Pakistan, who highly praised the level of the forum's organization and the initiatives to develop international cooperation in saving children's lives.

Significance of the event

For Uzbekistan, this event means an expansion of international cooperation, which, as Zamon.uz notes, will open up new opportunities for the country's medical institutions to master technologies, train specialists, and participate in global child health programs. In practical terms, this concerns patients in pediatric oncohematology departments and the medical staff of specialized centers, whose treatment outcomes and qualifications have been identified as priorities. It should be noted that the specific timelines and mechanisms for implementing these opportunities were not disclosed in the publications.