A medical waste shredder, procured with LHSS support, uses non-incineration technology and will protect Tajikistan’s environment.

Religious leaders and community health workers collaborated to promote COVID-19 vaccination in two regions of Tajikistan.

With LHSS support, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted an Interagency Technical Working Group Coordination Meeting in Astana. Ministries of Health, Veterinary Services, Agriculture, and Ecology, alongside international organizations, discussed collaborative preparedness, human resource capacity for One Health, and joint disease investigation. 

With support from USAID’s LHSS Project, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MOHSPP) in Tajikistan strengthened Tajikistan’s national laboratory system and supported the country’s COVID-19 Country Preparedness and Response Plan.

Accurate and timely identification of COVID-19 variants in circulation is critical to an effective COVID-19 response. Following the delivery of parts and equipment to refurbish the country’s only COVID-19 specific genomic sequencing machine, LHSS supported training for laboratory specialists on genomic sequencing of COVID-19 virus variants. 

By now, much has been written about the egregious global inequities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. But less has been said about another inequity that holds serious implications for global health: the disparities in genomic sequencing capacities and capabilities worldwide.

The events of the past 18 months underscore the importance of generally strong, equitable, and accessible health systems. COVID-19 is not the only threat we face, and as we prepare for the future it is critical that we begin to sufficiently invest in the foundational health system strengthening required to develop lasting resilience. 

LHSS supports scale up and adaptation of existing vaccination programs for COVID-19 while also strengthening countries’ capacity to manage other public health efforts in the future.