Almaty, 12 November 1997 (RFE/RL) - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton has concluded her visit to Almaty and traveled on to Bishkek. Clinton today visited an Almaty women's clinic -- jointly sponsored by the the U.S. and Kazakhstan -- that specializes in pre-natal care.
At ceremonies at the clinic, Clinton said that a woman's health is directly tied to the health of children, and if a family is healthy, the country is healthy.
James Smith, the American coordinator of a U.S.-sponsored health-care project, said Washington is in partnership with several CIS members, and had set up 13 women's health-care centers, which provide pre-natal education and medical assistance.
Svetlana Taryanko, a woman who has received treatment at the Almaty center, told our correspondent that she hopes Clinton's visit will encourage more women to seek medical assistance.
Clinton later addressed the Central Asia conference "Women in Politics," and met President Nursultan Nazarbayev and his wife.
In Bishkek, Clinton will deliver humanitarian supplies, including medical equipment and medicines worth about $4 million.