U.S. Embassy hands over essential reagents for COVID-19 testing to Uzbekistan

AKIPRESS.COM - The U.S. Embassy handed over essential reagents for COVID-19 testing to the Uzbekistan's Agency of Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing (ASEW) as part of the United States' assistance to Uzbekistan to combat COVID-19. "Working together with our partners in the Ministry of Health, we will improve detection, reduce the toll of this dangerous virus, and save lives in Uzbekistan," said U.S. Ambassador Daniel Rosenblum.
This is the first set of testing supplies being donated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The donation includes 60 boxes of QIAGEN RNA reagent, enough to conduct 15,000 tests. A second shipment consisting of 40 boxes of QIAGEN RNA kits, enough for 10,000 tests, will arrive in Uzbekistan within a few weeks.
"On behalf of the Ministry of Health and ASEW, we express our gratitude to the United States for providing this assistance. These reagents will support our fight against COVID-19 and improve the health and well-being of our citizens," said Ministry of Health's ASEW Director Bahodir Yusupaliyev.
USAID is providing $3.9 million to help Uzbekistan respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. This assistance is preparing laboratory systems for large-scale testing, preventing and controlling infections in healthcare facilities, improving COVID-19 surveillance and rapid response, enhancing case management of the infected, combatting disinformation about the virus, and engaging communities to work together.