Shakhzodakhon Khodjaeva: From Medical Student to UNFPA Youth Programme Specialist

Shakhzodakhon Khodjaeva graduated from the Medical School at Central Asian University in 2025. Today, she serves as a Youth Programme Specialist at UNFPA Uzbekistan, where she leads youth initiatives in public health, coordinates volunteers, and delivers training sessions on reproductive health, HIV prevention, leadership, and public speaking.

Her path into medicine began almost unexpectedly. With only one month to prepare for university entrance exams, she decided to take a chance—and earned a scholarship.

Growing up in a family of doctors, Shakhzodakhon was familiar with the medical profession from an early age. Watching her relatives care for patients inspired her to pursue the same path. During her years at an academic lyceum, that interest became a clear career goal. When it came time to choose a university, one factor stood above the rest: she wanted to study medicine in English. At the time, Central Asian University was the only university in Uzbekistan offering a fully English-taught MD program, making her decision an easy one.

From her very first year at CAU, Shakhzodakhon immersed herself in student life. She became one of the first members of the Student Council and later founded the Arts Club, believing that university should be a place where students grow not only academically, but personally.

Looking back, she says what made CAU different was the atmosphere of trust and encouragement. Students were given the freedom to take initiative, while professors were always willing to guide and support them.

Those experiences helped her become more confident, develop leadership skills, and discover strengths that extended far beyond the classroom.

During her clinical rotations, however, she faced a challenge familiar to many medical students—choosing a specialty. She explored different fields but never felt she had found the right one. Everything changed after meeting a patient whose condition had become severe because they had lacked basic health education and sought medical help too late.

That experience reshaped her understanding of medicine. She realized that some of the biggest improvements in public health happen long before a patient enters a hospital.

As she puts it, "I wanted to educate people before they came to doctors with advanced conditions."

This realization eventually led her to UNFPA Uzbekistan, where she now develops and implements youth-focused public health initiatives across the country.

Today, she coordinates a network of approximately 600 active volunteers, mentors young leaders, organizes educational campaigns, and regularly speaks at universities, youth forums, and public events. Through her work, she promotes reproductive health awareness, HIV prevention, gender equality, and healthy lifestyles, helping young people make informed decisions and become advocates within their own communities.

Reflecting on her university years, Shakhzodakhon believes that CAU gave her much more than medical knowledge. It taught her how to communicate effectively, work in multidisciplinary teams, think independently, and continuously seek new knowledge—skills that have become essential in her current role.

She also values the professional network she built during her studies, describing it as one of the university's greatest long-term benefits.

One lesson has remained with her throughout every stage of her journey: everyone has their own pace.

Today, her career reflects the evolving role of modern healthcare—one that extends beyond hospitals and clinics. By focusing on prevention, education, and community engagement, Shakhzodakhon is helping shape a healthier future for the next generation. Her story demonstrates that medicine is not only about treating disease; it is also about empowering people with knowledge before healthcare intervention is ever needed.