Press release
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 2 May 2020
The WHO COVID-19 mission comprising public health experts and epidemiologists landed in Dushanbe on Friday,1 May, at the request of the Government of Tajikistan.
Dr Patrick O’Connor, the mission lead, said on arrival: “Our team has reached Tajikistan, overcoming deployment logistics challenges, but with a strong determination to provide WHO support where it is needed, to the country and the people. We appreciate the efforts of the Tajik authorities and thank the United Nations and other partners for their assistance.”
The WHO expert team will be meeting with high-level officials, public health counterparts and health professionals, working together to assess the risks and understand the situation on the ground, and help develop the response mechanisms.
“Tajikistan has recently reported its first confirmed cases of COVID-19. Now our objective is to support the authorities in managing the spread of the virus, contributing with the WHO Country Office. We plan to meet authorities, experts and partners, and work together to understand the risks, the situation on the ground, and to develop the response mechanisms required to protect the Tajik people. This will benefit both the country and the entire European Region,” concluded Dr O’Connor.
Over the past two months, WHO/Europe has organized approximately 60 COVID-19-related missions to countries in the Region, delivering technical guidance on a range of issues, including laboratory support, disease surveillance, operational planning, and hospital preparedness. Despite the current challenges of border closures and limited air transport, WHO continues to send its experts to support countries at their request, wherever it is needed.
At present, the WHO European Region accounts for 46% of cases and 63% of deaths of COVID-19 globally, with 1 408 266 confirmed cases and 129 344 people who have now lost their lives to the virus.
For more information about COVID-19 in the WHO European Region and the work of the WHO European Office fighting the pandemic, please visit our website
