WHO supports strengthening of Tajikistan’s disaster response capacities

DUSHANBE, February 10, A2012, Asia-Plus  -- “Strengthening natural disaster response activities of the health system in Tajikistan” is one of components of the project, Health Protection in Conditions of Climate Change, which will be implemented in Tajikistan, a source at the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Tajikistan told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

The Ministry of Health and the NGO “Center for Climate Change Disaster Risk Reduction” will implement the project under support of the WHO, the source said, noting that the component includes a series of events that will be held from January through August this year.

The events will be held in central district hospitals of six most disaster prone districts of Shahritous, Khovaling, Kuhistoni Mastchoh, Panjakent, Roudaki and Rasht, the source added.

Every year, Tajikistan experiences hundreds of natural disasters and emergencies, affecting hundreds or thousands of people. These include earthquakes, debris flows, avalanches, landslides and mudslides, floods, droughts and epidemics.

An official websites of the WHO regional office for Europe notes that the experience of WHO and other international agencies shows that Tajikistan’s health sector is largely unprepared to cope effectively with emergencies, as it lacks not only resources but also a regulatory framework, technical expertise and operational skills, infrastructure and modern tools at nearly all levels.  As a result, even comparatively minor emergencies can force the national health care system to rely on external assistance.

Developing the health sector’s capacity to address disease outbreaks or releases of hazardous substances, regardless of their causes, has become a critical element of work to improve disaster preparedness and response.  Fostering preparedness in the health sector is a key objective of WHO’s technical cooperation with Tajikistan.