Fresh batches of 2,962,800 doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Tajikistan today, funded by an Asian Development Bank (ADB) grant approved earlier this year, according to ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM).
The Sinovac vaccines were delivered by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC) facility.
The US$25 million ADB grant approved in June 2021 finances the procurement of a total of over 3.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccines with safety boxes and syringes, logistics to transport them to national, regional, and district health facilities around the country, and capacity-building for staff at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population to strengthen the vaccination program and conduct gender- and age-sensitive outreach and training. ADB has partnered with UNICEF which is leading the global vaccine supply operation under the COVAX facility.
The ADB vaccine support project builds on ADB’s earlier support for Tajikistan’s COVID-19 response. This includes a $50 million grant approved in June 2020 to help fund the government’s comprehensive response plan and countercyclical measures; a US$2.5 million grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund approved last August to further support the government’s emergency response; and more than US$1 million in grants for urgent medical supplies and personal protective equipment for health care staff.
Since Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, the Bank has become the country’s largest multilateral development partner with more than $2.2 billion in assistance, including around US$1.7 billion in grants. ADB’s 2021-2025 country partnership strategy with Tajikistan focuses on three strategic priorities: structural reforms to enhance resource allocation and mobilization, improving labor productivity through human capital development, and fostering better livelihoods by investing in the land-linked economy.
