HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF STATE POLICY SUPPORTING WOMEN'S HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE: A CASE OF UZBEKISTAN AND KARAKALPAKSTAN
Annotatsiya
This paper examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Abstract: State policy supporting women's health and social welfare is essential for sustainable development, yet a systematic historical analysis of this policy in Uzbekistan and the Republic of Karakalpakstan has been lacking. This study examines the evolution of such policies from 1960 to 2023. This theoretical historical-analytical study used four non-empirical methods: historical, comparative, legal-documentary, and logical-analytical. Data were collected from 23 legislative documents, 8 statistical reports, and 35 scholarly articles. No empirical data collection was conducted. Three historical stages were identified. Soviet period (1960–1991): 45 maternity hospitals and 12 feldsher-midwife points were built; maternal mortality declined from 85.6 to 42.3 per 100,000 live births. Early independence period (1991–2010): maternal mortality declined from 38.7 (1995) to 30.2 (2005) nationally, but Karakalpakstan rates remained 1.5 times higher. Modern period (2010–2023): 67 perinatal centers were established; national maternal mortality declined to 18.4 per 100,000 live births by 2022, while Karakalpakstan remained at 22.1. State policy evolved from infrastructure-focused to comprehensive approaches including legal protections, economic support, and monitoring systems. Despite significant progress (78.5% reduction in maternal mortality since 1960), persistent regional disparities affecting Karakalpakstan require continued policy attention. The "Women's Notebook" monitoring system and international partnerships were key mechanisms driving improvements.