European Union and WHO join forces for disease prevention and a stronger health care system in Kazakhstan
The €10 million project, to be implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, aims to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce longer-term health resilience through stronger national immunization programmes and health information management systems.
“Health is an essential driver of Central Asia’s socio-economic development. WHO believes that by joining forces with partners to strengthen systems for the protection of the most vulnerable, we will ignite transformative change that ultimately improves the lives of the 75 million people living in Central Asia. A key trusted partner and donor on this journey of ours, is the European Union,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“We consider the EU funding support as an European investment in the human capital, health, well-being and quality of life in Central Asia,” said Kestutis Jankauskas, Ambassador of the European Union, addressing students at Astana Medical University where the new EU-WHO project was launched. The Ambassador added that the best European practices and standards would be applied in the implementation of the project.
The funds will initially be used to scale-up COVID-19 vaccination, develop and implement COVID-19 and routine immunization plans, train health care workers and professionals involved in vaccination and strengthen immunization information systems. The project will also strengthen vaccine-preventable disease surveillance and the use of digital solutions to prevent and respond to future vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.
Regarding the implementation of this project, Azhar Giniyat, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted, “For the past two years the Republic of Kazakhstan, like the whole world, has been actively implementing a set of necessary measures to prevent the further spread of coronavirus under the aegis of WHO. The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the importance of global cooperation, world order based on mutual trust, mutual support and mutual assistance, as well as the need to create institutions that can mobilize all forces and take the necessary measures in such moments of crisis.”
Furthermore, the funds will be used to enhance data and digital health systems in line with the recently adopted regional digital health action plan 2023-2030 for which Central Asian countries have shown strong support.
The new project builds on earlier support from the European Union and WHO, from 2020-2022, to strengthen the response to COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
For further information, contact:
Aidana Yergaliyeva
Communications Specialist
WHO Office in Kazakhstan
Email: yergaliyevaa@who.int
Aidana Sariyeva
Press Officer
EU Delegration to Kazakhstan
Email : aidana.sariyeva@eeas.europa.eu