Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 12 October 2021 the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a launching ceremony of the KOICA’s 2021 Comprehensive Response Program within the framework of “ODA KOREA: Building TRUST” of MOFA, Republic of Korea. For the implementation of the program in Uzbekistan, the government of the Republic of Korea allocated US$5.0 million, including US$4.57 million for the health sector.

Within the framework of the program, the memorandums of understanding were signed with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan for implementation of KOICA’s Program for prevention and control of infectious diseases in Uzbekistan (1.6 mln USD), as well as with Tashkent Medical Academy for implementation of Capacity development Program for infectious diseases research (300 thousand USD).

The main directions of the above programs include:

- Strengthening the capacity to establish governance for infectious disease prevention and control;

- Establishment of quality control system for infectious disease diagnosis laboratory;

- Establishment of national system for monitoring of infectious diseases and vaccination;

- Capacity development for infectious diseases research;

- Capacity development for treatment such as provision of equipment for medical institutions; and others.

The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Health Azizov A.A., Head of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan Yusupaliev B.K., Rector of the Tashkent Medical Academy Shadmanov A.K. From the Korean side, the ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs, MOFA, Republic of Korea Ham Sang Wook, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Uzbekistan Kang Jae Kwon, Director of the KOICA Office in Uzbekistan Park Sunjin, Professor Choi Jae Wook of Korea University as well as other dignitaries.

During the ceremony, KOICA handed over to the Ministry of Health 87 units of oxygen generator worth US$2.32 million for equipping the 35 interdistrict emergency medical centers.

Deputy Minister Azizov A.A. thanked the Korean partners for their cooperation and timely assistance, and expressed a hope for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation in the future.