Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the United States, Javlon Vakhabov, held a videoconference with representatives of the State Department to discuss prospects for expanding financial and technical assistance programs for Uzbekistan in the fight against coronavirus infection.

During the negotiations, the American side expressed appreciation for the inclusion of Uzbekistan in the State Department’s funding program to eliminate the threat of COVID-19, as well as the transfer of personal protective equipment to the Agency for Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-being under the Ministry of Health to combat the spread of the virus.

The American side was informed about the quarantine measures being taken in the republic, efforts to identify, prevent and prevent the spread of coronavirus. It is noted about cooperation with private medical corporations, the donor community and US charitable organizations in order to attract their technical assistance and humanitarian assistance in the fight against coronavirus in Uzbekistan.

According to representatives of the State Department, the US side is planning to allocate US$848,000 to meet these needs. These funds are the next tranche under the US Agency for International Development program, which will be donated to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the World Health Organization to support efforts to combat COVID-19.

Funding will be used to equip laboratories for conducting large-scale testing, strengthening the capacity of medical institutions in preventing and controlling the spread of infection, improving surveillance for COVID-19, quick response systems, identifying cases and treating infected people, and counteracting misinformation about the virus.

In general, according to the American side, in the budget submitted to the US Congress for 2020, the total amount of funding for Uzbekistan is relatively higher than the amount of assistance allocated for 2019.