On Monday, December 12, 2022, a mobile medical and preventive complex was handed over by the Russian Federation as a gift to the Republic of Tajikistan in Dushanbe. The newly delivered unit became the sixth in the network of mobile clinics provided to the Republic of Tajikistan from 2013 to the present as part of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Russian Technical Assistance Programme for the Countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia in the Field of Prevention, Control, and Surveillance of HIV/AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases.
The programme has been implemented by Rospotrebnadzor of Russia since 2013 under the directives of the Government of the Russian Federation, with the Russian "AIDS Infoshare" Foundation serving as the operational partner. The programme’s goal is to support partner countries' healthcare systems in ensuring effective control over the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
The event was attended by Shamil F. Shamsutdinov, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan; Navruz J. Jafarov, Head of the Department for Sanitary and Epidemiological Safety, Emergency Situations, and Emergency Medical Care of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan; and Stepan P. Kanakin, Programme Director of the "AIDS Infoshare" Foundation.
"Today, Russia is transferring another mobile medical and preventive complex based on a KAMAZ chassis to Tajikistan. It is designed for the prevention and diagnosis of infectious diseases among the country’s population. Four such complexes are already successfully operating, strengthening the system of rural healthcare and health education in mountainous and hard-to-reach regions. Just a few days ago, another vehicle — based on a GAZON chassis — was sent to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
These six vehicles operate in Tajikistan as part of the regional Technical Assistance Programme. A key feature of the Programme is that, in addition to the mobile units, it provides full funding for their operation — including salaries for medical and technical staff, training, the supply of Russian test systems and methodological materials, and operational expenses.
I would like to note that this Programme is not the only one. We are actively cooperating in many other areas of healthcare and sanitary-epidemiological well-being. Tajik doctors regularly undergo training in leading Russian medical centres and universities. In addition to these six vehicles, there are also three mobile laboratories, ten ambulances supplied by the Russian Federation, and two medical trains delivered through the Eurasian Development Bank," — said Mr. Shamsutdinov.
"The HIV epidemic in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as in other regions of the world, has its own specific characteristics that require modern, innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of the overall response. One such feature in Tajikistan is the increasing share of new HIV cases among people with a history of international labour migration. According to official statistics, almost every fourth new HIV case in the country is linked to labour migration. Given these epidemiological circumstances, mobile clinics play a vital role in HIV prevention efforts and are being provided to several CIS countries under the Russian Technical Assistance Programme," — said Mr. Jafarov.
"The Russian Technical Assistance Programme has been operating in Tajikistan since 2013 and has achieved tangible results, primarily in improving access to free primary healthcare services and expanding diagnostic coverage — including testing for dangerous infectious diseases in remote mountain settlements. None of this would have been possible without our local partners — the Republican AIDS Center, regional AIDS centers, and other healthcare institutions of the Republic of Tajikistan involved in the Programme’s implementation," — noted Mr. Kanakin.
To date, 19 mobile complexes have been delivered to partner countries — 5 to Armenia, 7 to Kyrgyzstan, 6 to Tajikistan, and 2 to Uzbekistan. All of them are designed to provide primary healthcare services as well as a range of medical consultations, including testing for HIV infection, COVID-19, viral hepatitis, and STIs, as well as obstetric, gynecological, cardiological, and urological care.
The programme has been implemented by Rospotrebnadzor of Russia since 2013 under the directives of the Government of the Russian Federation, with the Russian "AIDS Infoshare" Foundation serving as the operational partner. The programme’s goal is to support partner countries' healthcare systems in ensuring effective control over the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
The event was attended by Shamil F. Shamsutdinov, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan; Navruz J. Jafarov, Head of the Department for Sanitary and Epidemiological Safety, Emergency Situations, and Emergency Medical Care of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan; and Stepan P. Kanakin, Programme Director of the "AIDS Infoshare" Foundation.
"Today, Russia is transferring another mobile medical and preventive complex based on a KAMAZ chassis to Tajikistan. It is designed for the prevention and diagnosis of infectious diseases among the country’s population. Four such complexes are already successfully operating, strengthening the system of rural healthcare and health education in mountainous and hard-to-reach regions. Just a few days ago, another vehicle — based on a GAZON chassis — was sent to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
These six vehicles operate in Tajikistan as part of the regional Technical Assistance Programme. A key feature of the Programme is that, in addition to the mobile units, it provides full funding for their operation — including salaries for medical and technical staff, training, the supply of Russian test systems and methodological materials, and operational expenses.
I would like to note that this Programme is not the only one. We are actively cooperating in many other areas of healthcare and sanitary-epidemiological well-being. Tajik doctors regularly undergo training in leading Russian medical centres and universities. In addition to these six vehicles, there are also three mobile laboratories, ten ambulances supplied by the Russian Federation, and two medical trains delivered through the Eurasian Development Bank," — said Mr. Shamsutdinov.
"The HIV epidemic in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as in other regions of the world, has its own specific characteristics that require modern, innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of the overall response. One such feature in Tajikistan is the increasing share of new HIV cases among people with a history of international labour migration. According to official statistics, almost every fourth new HIV case in the country is linked to labour migration. Given these epidemiological circumstances, mobile clinics play a vital role in HIV prevention efforts and are being provided to several CIS countries under the Russian Technical Assistance Programme," — said Mr. Jafarov.
"The Russian Technical Assistance Programme has been operating in Tajikistan since 2013 and has achieved tangible results, primarily in improving access to free primary healthcare services and expanding diagnostic coverage — including testing for dangerous infectious diseases in remote mountain settlements. None of this would have been possible without our local partners — the Republican AIDS Center, regional AIDS centers, and other healthcare institutions of the Republic of Tajikistan involved in the Programme’s implementation," — noted Mr. Kanakin.
To date, 19 mobile complexes have been delivered to partner countries — 5 to Armenia, 7 to Kyrgyzstan, 6 to Tajikistan, and 2 to Uzbekistan. All of them are designed to provide primary healthcare services as well as a range of medical consultations, including testing for HIV infection, COVID-19, viral hepatitis, and STIs, as well as obstetric, gynecological, cardiological, and urological care.