FORMATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SANITARY-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SERVICES IN THE UZBEK SSR DURING THE 1970s–1980s

Аннотация

This article analyzes the organizational foundations and practical outcomes of measures taken to protect the rural population of the Uzbek SSR from infectious diseases. It explores the establishment of medical services in rural areas, the implementation of preventive actions, and the development of the sanitary-epidemiological system based on historical sources and archival materials. The article also discusses the positive impact of these efforts on rural health and considers therelevance ofthis historical experience for thepresent day. At the time of the establishment of the Uzbek SSR, the rural population constituted the majority of the country’s inhabitants, making the protection of their health one of the key directions of state policy. In particular, infectious diseases were widespread in rural areas, prompting the need for effective countermeasures. The Soviet government implemented various organizational initiatives to improve public health, including the creation of medical institutions, the enforcement of sanitation and hygiene regulations, and the launch of preventive programs. This study examines the organizational framework and results of anti-epidemic efforts among the rural population intheUzbek SSR. In February 1979, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Uzbek SSR developed a program of measures for the efficient use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. According to these measures, improving sanitation and green infrastructure in settlements, providing drinking water through pipelines, and gasification of rural areas were set as key objectives. However, out of the 198 tasks outlined intheresolution onenvironmental protection, only 47were fully implemented. In the 1980s, Uzbekistan ranked among the highest in the Soviet Union in terms of air pollution of the environment, with only 1.4% of industrial enterprises meeting ecological and hygienic standards [1]. In conditions of a growing population, the regulation and improvement of natural resource use, as well as the strengthening of environmental control, are considered among the most important measures for preventing various infectious diseases. In Uzbekistan, the State Committee for Environmental Protection was established in 1988 [2]. Until the establishment of the State Committee, various agencies had been responsible for environmental protection, which hindered the effective and coordinated implementation of environmental measures. On June 20, 1990,theSupremeCouncil oftheUzbek SSRadopted theLaw "On Sanitary Supervision". During the Soviet era, industrial enterprises emitting toxic substances were at times constructed in close proximity to populated areas. Factories of the electrochemical plant type exist in only http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 552 Volume15 Issue05, May2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 three locations worldwide. One is situated in the Sahara Desert, approximately 110–140 kilometers away from the nearest inhabited settlement; another belongs to France and is located on the island of Bechu in Oceania. These facilities are used for the production of chemical weapons and pharmaceutical substances [3]. The third such plant is located in the Navoi region of Uzbekistan. Due to severe toxic exposure, factory workers developed green discoloration of their hair and nails. Until 1989, the production of the “isophen insecticide” involved the use of a hazardous substance known as “dinoseb,” which led to an increased incidence of liver diseases among theworkers [4]. Toxic substances in the air of major cities contaminated land and water resources, leading to a deterioration of the ecological situation and negatively impacting human health. In 1988 alone, industrial enterprises located on the territory of the Uzbek SSR released approximately 1.3 million tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere. In Uzbekistan, the level of air pollution in cities such as Tashkent, Angren, Almalyk, Andijan, Kokand, Navoi, Fergana, and Chirchik didnot meet established sanitary standards [5]. The level of atmospheric pollution was particularly high in the Navoi region. Industrial enterprises such as the Mining and Metallurgical Combine, Navoi Azot, Electrochemical, and Cement Plants were among the major sources of environmental contamination. Emissions from the nitrogen fertilizer plant in the region were a significant factor contributing to environmental degradation and the spread of various diseases among the population. On average, the Navoi AzotCombinereleased around 1,900tons oftoxicdustinto theatmosphere annually [6]. One of the main causes of the adverse socio-ecological conditions in Uzbekistan was the excessive use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, the lack of technological discipline, and the insufficient control over theuseof hazardous substances harmful to human health. In 1963–19