Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 07, 2020 — The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced a commitment of $866, 000 to increase Tajikistan’s ability to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan John Mark Pommersheim, [in a video message to the Tajik people: https://bit.ly/2UTMjXj], announced that U.S. assistance will further support Tajikistan’s efforts to prepare and respond to COVID-19.  

The U.S. government is providing these funds to USAID partners Abt Associates, International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and World Health Organization (WHO). These organizations are currently registered and operating in Tajikistan, which will allow for the funds to have an immediate impact.  

This initial response is being developed in close collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tajikistan Ministry of Health. The work includes activities to strengthen Tajikistan’s health system; the procurement of urgent commodities that support infection-prevention and control; collaboration to improve Tajik laboratory capacity (including specimen transport and equipment), surveillance, rapid response, and case management; and the development and enhancement of public health outreach, including risk communication and community engagement.  

This assistance is part of the U.S. government’s global efforts to strengthen partner countries’ capacities to prevent and control infectious disease threats such as tuberculosis, HIV, and pandemics like COVID-19.   

Ambassador Pommersheim praised Tajikistan’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and said, “The U.S. government will continue to support the Government of Tajikistan with resources to minimize the spread and impact of this global scourge.”  

For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in public health.  This assistance builds on U.S. investments of nearly $125 million in health and more than $1 billion in development assistance over the past 20 years. This generosity is underscored by our contributions to several crucial multilateral partners, to include: 

•  U.S. contributions to WHO in 2019, which exceeded $400 million, almost double the 2nd largest member state contribution.  
• U.S. support to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) of nearly $1.7 billion contributed in 2019. This support will be critical going forward, as refugee populations are uniquely vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.  
• U.S. contributions to the UN Children’s Fund in 2019 totaled more than $700 million.  The life-saving activities UNICEF has been doing for years — such as immunization campaigns and health and sanitation training and assistance — will save lives as we fight this dangerous pathogen. 

Because an infectious-disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere, the United States calls on other donors to contribute to the global effort to combat COVID-19.     

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USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. To learn more, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and USAID/Central Asia’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.  

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For more information about novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

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        For more information about USAID’s response to COVID-19, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/coronavirus-covid-19