Date/Time: 01 July at 10:00 a.m.

Venue: Conference Room of the Ministry of Health

Remarks by Dr. (Ms.) Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Resident Representative

Dear Mr. Samariddin Alizoda, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan,

Dear Mr. Ezel Agaoglu, General Manager of Coca-Cola in Tajikistan,

Distinguished colleagues and guests,

I would like first to congratulate you, Mr. Alizoda, on your recent appointment as Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan.

UNDP has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population and we are very much looking forward to sustaining and deepening this partnership under your leadership, in responding to the COVID19 pandemic but also more comprehensively in improving the delivery of health services to the people of Tajikistan. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has put an extraordinary and unprecedented burden on Tajikistan’s healthcare system, challenging its capacities and triggering shortages of life saving medications, personal protective equipment and sanitation materials.

Water and Sanitation (WASH) have been propelled to the center of our priorities because today, more than ever, the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygienic conditions are essential to protecting human health and life, and curbing the spread of all infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID19. 

UNDP is working on multiple tracks in support to the Government to manage the COVID19 pandemic and its impact on lives and livelihoods.  We are working closely with development partners, civil society and private sector to help Tajikistan come out of the pandemic crises and build back better in more inclusive, equitable and sustainable manner.

UNDP is proud to have supported the Ministry of Health in establishing an Information Coordination Platform at the national and local levels to enhance COVID-19 emergency coordination and information exchange.  This has enabled the Government to ensure timely transmission of valuable information from and to the field, and to have supported exchange of information and consultations with external counterparts in the region and beyond on critical cases. 

We are also looking to support the Ministry in addressing more long-term development challenging through supporting hospitals in safe handling and disposal of medical waste such as used and contaminated face masks, body suits, empty vials, etc.

Today, I’m very pleased to handover 8 tons of high-level disinfectants to the Ministry of health to support selected hospitals and treatment facilities in their immediate response to risks associated with COVID-19.  These disinfectants are very much needed to ensure the safety and protection of health care workers and patients.

This project is a result of our successful collaboration with the private sector, namely the Coca Cola Foundation that has entrusted its funds to UNDP to help protect Tajik patients, nurses and health care workers at the frontline of this crisis.

I am confident, that the use of these highly concentrated disinfectants we are handing over today, will help to prevent human-to-human transmission of the COVID19 virus, facilitate hygiene promotion and support improving overall sanitation and hygiene management practices in healthcare settings.

I would like to thank the Coca Cola Foundation and personally Mr. Ezel Agaoglu, for support and partnership which made this project possible. 

In conclusion, I would like to reconfirm UNDP’s commitment to support the Government and people of Tajikistan to combat the spread of the coronavirus and its socio-economic impact.

Thank you very much.