Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 23 August 2021 the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Specialized COVID-19 Comprehensive Rapid Response Program for 2021 in Uzbekistan.

This program is a continuation of the Emergency Response Program for countering the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan for 2020 ($5.0mln), within which, from 2020 to present the KOICA Office and its partner organizations have been closely working in the field of healthcare and social support. The objectives of the program include such components as strengthening the capacity of medical specialists in responding to and preventing infectious diseases (COVID-19), training and employment of the unemployed, assistance to vulnerable groups of the population, provision of necessary equipment, etc. Tentatively, to date, over 49,520 people have received assistance under the 2020 program, more than 11 different projects have been implemented.

Year 2020 taught us that the whole world is interconnected. We recognized the need to work together to contain the virus and restart our progress towards the SDGs. The continuous, unfailing support of KOICA partners represented by ministries and government institutions, via our COVID-19 response program and other projects, have enabled us to come together to build better resilience against the pandemic.

An additional US$5.0 mln has been allocated to implement the Specialized COVID-19 Comprehensive Rapid Response Program for 2021 in Uzbekistan. Together with key partners, such as the Ministry of Health, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellfare and Public Health Service, Tashkent Medical Academy, the Ministry for Support of the Mahalla and Family, and others, the followings will be carried:

- 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 oxygen generators for medical institutions, 

- Social support for the vulnerable population, and others.