On May 30, the United States with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over urgently needed cold chain equipment and computers to the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan to strengthen Uzbekistan’s national immunization system. The equipment, which includes 671 refrigerators, 212 freezers, and 150 computers worth $1.3 million in total, will bolster Uzbekistan’s ability to implement functional, effective vaccine management. This critically needed equipment will be distributed to primary care health facilities around the country.

“The continued partnership between the United States and Uzbekistan is pivotal in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinating those most vulnerable, providing emergency supplies and bolstering economic recovery, and to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to future waves of COVID and other disease outbreaks,” said USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Änjali Kaur.

This donation is part of USAID’s larger donation totaling $16 million in COVID-19 assistance. USAID, through its implementing partner UNICEF, is working with the Ministry of Health to ensure the vaccination of all children in Uzbekistan. Vaccines, and the effective cold chain technology needed to store and administer them, are central elements to Uzbekistan’s strategy for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A functional cold chain that reaches primary health care facilities is imperative,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan. “This equipment is going where the Uzbekistani people get their basic health services. Investing at the primary care level is critical for reaching people and children with life-saving vaccines,” he added.

This U.S. donation will contribute to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as well as the upcoming Measles and Rubella immunization campaign, scheduled for September 2022. Since the first detected case of COVID-19, the U.S. Government has provided Uzbekistan over $18 million in assistance to fight the pandemic. This includes both USAID funds and assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and includes over 7 million vaccines.