EU and WHO to support deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in Azerbaijan

The European Union and the WHO Regional Office for Europe will support together the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in Azerbaijan. The project funded by the European Union and implemented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) will cover all phases of COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination, and will also serve as a major investment to strengthen the routine immunisation system.

The project will be implemented by the WHO to support the major national counterparts, the Ministry of Health and TABİB, over a three-year period, as part of a €40 million EU-funded initiative to support the six Eastern partner countries in preparing for, deploying and monitoring rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

“We all are waiting for these vaccines trying to turn the last year of lockdowns into the new year of hope and return to normal life,” said Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan. “We are proudly working as Team Europe, with WHO, in solidarity with our partners, building on the previous cooperation when we delivered personal protective and medical equipment last year and rapidly reoriented our bilateral programmes to support socio-economic recovery.”

Dr Yagut Garayeva, head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department of TABİB, said Azerbaijan had started vaccinating since January. “We highly appreciate cooperation with the EU and WHO on risk communications, vaccine logistics and developing a cold chain for storing vaccines as part of our multiplatform approach to vaccine deployment,” she said.

The funds will be used initially to support the first phase of preparedness and deployment, with an emphasis on imminent needs in strategic areas, such as planning, equipment/supplies, training of health workers and information campaigns.  

The project builds on the European Union’s and WHO’s ongoing support to countries’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the joint €35 million EU Solidarity for Health Initiative, aimed to support the partner countries in their fight against the virus and address better the needs of the most vulnerable people.

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Press release

New EU programme to support readiness for vaccination efforts in Eastern Partnership countries with WHO