On May 30, the United States of America, with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), donated critically needed cold chain equipment and computers to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan to strengthen the country’s national immunization system.

According to the UNICEF press service, the equipment, which includes 671 refrigerators, 212 freezers and 150 computers, totaling $1.3 million, will strengthen Uzbekistan’s ability to implement functional and effective vaccine management. This very important and necessary equipment will be distributed to primary healthcare facilities throughout the country.

“The ongoing partnership between the United States of America and Uzbekistan is critical in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinating the most vulnerable, securing emergency supplies, and helping to restore the economy, as well as preparing for, preventing, detecting, and responding to future waves of COVID and other outbreaks,” Anjali Kaur, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, said.

USAID, through UNICEF, is working with the Ministry of Health to ensure that all children in Uzbekistan are vaccinated. Vaccines and the efficient cold chain technology needed to store and use them are central to Uzbekistan’s strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A functional cold chain that goes all the way to primary healthcare facilities is essential. This equipment is sent to places where the people of Uzbekistan receive basic medical services. Investing at the primary healthcare level is critical to providing people and children with life-saving vaccines,” Munir Mammadzade, head of the UNICEF Country Office in Uzbekistan, said.

Since the first identified case of COVID-19, the US government has provided more than $18 million worth of aid to Uzbekistan to fight the pandemic. This includes both USAID funds and assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as more than 7 million vaccines.