The Government of Japan and UNICEF signed an agreement for procurement and distribution of vaccines for routine immunization of children in Tajikistan

Dushanbe, November 1st, 2021. Today Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Mr. Takayuki Miyashita, and UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Osama Makkawi signed the Exchange of Notes regarding the implementation of the project “Improvement of Early Childhood Vaccination”. For the realization of the project, 307,000,000 Japanese Yen (approx. 2,793,425 USD) will be provided by the Government of Japan to the UNICEF Office in Tajikistan. The official signing ceremony took place at the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis with the participation of the Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population, Mr. Jamoliddin Abdullozoda.

The main objectives of the proposed project are to accelerate the gains already made in infant and child morbidity and mortality reduction in Tajikistan and to ensure that the momentum is sustained and that the progress is evenly distributed across geographic areas. The project specifically seeks to enhance the implementation of the national Expended Program of Immunization and its sustainability through the procurement and distribution of vaccines, advocacy for Increased Tajikistan government’s budget allocation to the procurement of essential vaccines, and strengthening supply chain management and performance monitoring of the national EPI program.

The proposed project will focus mainly on the procurement of the following vaccines:

• MMR vaccines to protect children from measles, mumps, and rubella,
• Hep B vaccines to protect children from Hepatitis B,
• and related vaccine devices such as syringes and safety boxes.

“The MMR vaccines provided by this project will definitely contribute to the healthy daily lives of children across the country. I believe that this project will protect children from various infectious diseases. I am very pleased to note that both Japan and Tajikistan share the same slogan: “No one should be left behind,” noted H.E Ambassador Takayuki Miyashita.

The project will be implemented across the country through the centralized procurement and distribution of vaccines from the national vaccine warehouse to the regions, districts, and primary health care facilities, ensuring the availability of essential vaccines in all vaccination points. The project will directly benefit close to one million children over the three years of the project period.

Over the last two decades, the generous contribution from the Japanese Government significantly assisted in sustaining the National Child Immunization Programme and Mother and Child Health Care Services, with the provision of vaccines, cold chain equipment, essential drugs, and primary medical materials during the most challenging period for the country.

"On behalf of children, women, and their families, UNICEF wishes to express its gratitude to the Government of Japan for its crucial support, flexible contributions, and commitment to improving and maintaining the immunization program coverage in Tajikistan during the Covid pandemic. UNICEF and other partners will continue to support the MoHSP to strengthen the immunization program further and maintain high-quality essential child survival interventions across the country".- noted UNICEF Representative, Mr. Osama Makkawi.