Tajikistan
WHO/Europe has worked in disaster preparedness and response in Tajikistan since 2000. Current programmes assist the Ministry of Health in strengthening disaster preparedness and response capacities and coordination. WHO has partnered with European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) along with the Ministry of Health and the Committee for Emergency Situations. Activities included the development of the National Health Crisis Management Plan, strengthening health facilities’ resilience to disasters and training in public health in emergencies on the national and local levels.
WHO acts as the health cluster lead agency and is an active member of the Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT), the local inter-agency disaster management group co-chaired by the Committee for Emergency Situations and the United Nations Resident Coordinator. In 2009, WHO and health cluster partners responded to widespread spring flooding and mudflows, coordinating health assessments and local appeals for health response and recovery. WHO and health cluster partners are active in pandemic preparedness and coordination, as well as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/REACT early-warning system.
WHO/Europe focused on:
Health cluster coordination
Continuing coordination of the Health Cluster and documentation of the humanitarian action for health sector recovery were planned and implemented.
Crisis management plan
WHO experts provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health Expert Committee on Crisis Preparedness and Response in implementing the national health crisis management plan. This included, among others, capacity building of local communities and authorities in disaster preparedness and in setting up coordination and early warning systems.
Health facility strengthening
Strengthening the resilience and safety of the country’s health facilities, to ensure that they continue to function in the event of a disaster included assessing the resilience of selected key health facilities using the WHO Hospital Safety Index. Based on this analysis, a work plan was developed, containing interventions to improve the safety of the facilities, and a workshop on hospital safety wias conducted. Once implemented, a follow-up assessment evaluated the measures’ technical and cost efficiency.
National public health and emergency management (PHEM) course
The national version of the PHEM course was implemented. It was based on the regional WHO/Europe PHEM course, while incorporating the country’s specific needs and concerns.
Improving Mass Casualty Management
WHO/Europe with support from the European Commission`s Humanitarian aid and Civil Protection Directorate general (ECHO) coordinated the launch of the “Improving Casualty Management in Tajikistan” project which aims to enhance the capacity of the Government of Tajikistan to reduce the impact of mass casualty incidents through a better management of victims. The project will directly involve over 250 medical providers and rescuers and will impact country-wide MCI response effectiveness.
Assessment of health-system crisis preparedness
WHO/Europe expert mission to assess the health system capacity for crisis management, October 2013.
The results of this assessment will support the Ministry of Health and other key disaster preparedness and response stakeholders in the identification of existing strengths and gaps, in a better understanding of cross-cutting disaster preparedness and response areas and promote IHR principles and values among key stakeholders at all levels within and outside the health sector.. Tajikistan has substantially improved the disaster preparedness and response area with the establishment of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and a new National Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) platform.
Public health and emergency management (PHEM) course
Participation of representatives of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Emergencies in the sub-regional course Public Health & Emergency Management, held in Russian language on 16 -21 September, 2013, Issyk Kul Area, Kyrgyzstan.
