Dr. Shahnoza Rakhimova

Dr. Shahnoza Rakhimova is a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at the National Maternity Hospital in Dushanbe — Tajikistan's principal maternal health institution and the primary referral center for high-risk obstetric cases from across the country. With 15 years of obstetric and gynecologic practice, Dr. Rakhimova is one of Dushanbe's most experienced maternal health specialists, providing vital obstetric care in a country where maternal and neonatal mortality remain significant public health concerns.

Tajikistan has one of the higher maternal mortality rates among post-Soviet Central Asian countries, reflecting limited antenatal care access in rural areas, geographic barriers to facility delivery, and resource constraints in healthcare provision. Dr. Rakhimova works within this context, managing high-risk obstetric cases referred to Dushanbe from across Tajikistan — including women with pre-eclampsia, placental complications, and other severe obstetric emergencies.

Her clinical expertise encompasses the full scope of obstetric care: comprehensive antenatal monitoring, management of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, labor management for normal and complicated deliveries, cesarean section, and postpartum care including management of postpartum hemorrhage. She performs obstetric ultrasound for fetal surveillance.

Dr. Rakhimova is committed to improving maternal health outcomes in Tajikistan and participates in UNFPA and WHO-supported maternal health programs. She communicates in Tajik and Russian.

Dr. Rakhimova obtained her MD from the Tajik State Medical University and completed Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the National Maternity Hospital in Dushanbe. She holds the Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGO) and has completed WHO and UNFPA training programs in obstetric emergency management, active management of the third stage of labor, and basic emergency obstetric care (BEmOC) and comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmOC) protocols. She is registered with the Tajikistan Medical Council's specialist register.

Dr. Rakhimova provides comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care. In obstetrics, she conducts antenatal assessments including obstetric ultrasound, manages gestational diabetes with diet and insulin where needed, manages hypertensive disorders from gestational hypertension through severe pre-eclampsia with magnesium sulfate and antihypertensive therapy, and provides intrapartum care for normal and complicated deliveries. She performs cesarean section for obstetric indications. She manages postpartum hemorrhage using uterotonic drugs, bimanual compression, and surgical hemostasis techniques. In gynecology, she performs basic procedures including diagnostic curettage, manual vacuum aspiration for incomplete miscarriage, and intrauterine device insertion.

Dr. Rakhimova has contributed clinical data to WHO and UNFPA Tajikistan maternal health program evaluations. She participates in the Tajikistan Obstetric and Gynecology Society activities and contributes to national maternal health protocol development. Her practical experience with high-risk obstetrics in a resource-limited setting informs national maternal mortality reduction programs.

The National Maternity Hospital in Dushanbe serves Tajikistan's domestic maternal health population as the country's premier obstetric institution, receiving high-risk referrals from across all regions of Tajikistan. Dr. Rakhimova consults in Tajik and Russian. Women from Afghanistan occasionally travel to Dushanbe for maternity care, particularly from border regions where access to skilled obstetric care is limited. Tajik women living abroad — primarily in Russia — sometimes consult Dr. Rakhimova remotely for guidance on managing obstetric conditions when accessing healthcare in their countries of residence. For patients requiring advanced maternal-fetal medicine services or complex gynecologic surgery beyond the hospital's capacity, Dr. Rakhimova provides referral coordination and documentation for transfer to appropriate facilities within Tajikistan or abroad.

Dr. Rakhimova has been recognized by the Tajikistan Obstetric and Gynecology Society for her sustained contributions to maternal health improvement and obstetric emergency management in Tajikistan over 15 years of dedicated practice. She received a commendation from UNFPA Tajikistan for her active participation in maternal health programme implementation, including her contributions to basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care (BEmOC/CEmOC) training roll-out to district hospitals. Dr. Rakhimova has been acknowledged by the National Maternity Hospital for her leadership in high-risk obstetric care and for her role in mentoring junior medical officers and midwives. Her commitment to reducing maternal mortality in Tajikistan is recognized by national and international maternal health stakeholders.