Country Epidemiological Data and Context the First Cases of COVID-19 in Uzbekistan Were Reported in March 2020, and As of 3 July
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EP-2020-000012-CHN Country epidemiological data and context The first cases of COVID-19 in Uzbekistan were reported in March 2020, and as of 3 July, there were 8,904 confirmed cases and 26 deaths reported (WHO figures). Real-time information on the development of the outbreak is available via the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Dashboard. Identified Needs In Uzbekistan there has been a 229% increase in confirmed cases reported over the past one month (between 30 May and 29 June). There is a critical need to implement a robust risk communication and community engagement strategy in Uzbekistan in order to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected the economy of Uzbekistan, as a result of which, GDP has decreased, peoples’ incomes have decreased, and inflation and unemployment have increased. The decline in the quality of life of the population is most reflected in socially vulnerable groups of the population: - lonely elderly people - persons with disabilities - large families (families with one breadwinner) Role of National Society in Response The Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan (RCSU) was established in 1925 and is the oldest humanitarian organization in the country. RCSU operates on the territory of the whole country and consists of branches in Karakalpakstan Republic, 12 regional branches, Tashkent city, Railroad organizations, 195 urban and district branches, and over 3,000 primary grassroots units/organizations in the country. The RCSU has 1,365,000 members and 38,000 active volunteers. In 2004, the law on use and protection of the emblems of Red Cross and Red Crescent was adopted in Uzbekistan. It is the only non-government organization in the country which is included into the State coordination mechanisms for emergency preparedness and response. Among its many activities, it has a well-established service of visiting nurses providing nursing care to the most vulnerable. RCSU conducts its work in close cooperation with state structures, such as local authorities, Ministries of Justice, Health, Emergencies and other relevant ministries. With its strong community presence, it is uniquely placed to play an important role in COVID-19 preparedness and response activities. In accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated August 24, 2011 No. 242, the RCSU is included in the State system of warning and emergency response of the Republic of Uzbekistan (link to document www.lex.uz/ru/docs/1857284). The main role of RCSU in the emergency preparedness and response system is the provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in emergency situations, as well as in teaching the skills of First Aid in emergency situations as an auxiliary structure. A Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. R-5537 dated 29 January 2020 was established on the formation of a Special Republican Commission to prepare a Programme of Measures to prevent the spread of COVID- 19, headed by the Prime Minister, with the assistance of representatives of all Ministries and Departments responsible for implementing programmatic measures to protect against COVID-19. To combat the spread of coronavirus an Emergency Operations Centre was established at the Agency for Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing under the Ministry of Health, and a Response Protocol and Operating Procedures have been developed. In order to ensure proper communication and cooperation with all key parties that respond to COVID-19 in the country and to ensure a coordinated response, RCSU regularly holds technical coordination meetings with representatives of the MoH, WHO and the Ministry of Emergencies at national level. At the request of the MoH, the National Society actively participates in meetings of the National Epidemic Committee, together with other partners. In accordance with the agreement on cooperation between the National Society and the MoH, activities are carried out at the regional and district level throughout the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the same time, the branches of the National Society work closely with local health authorities. National Society staff and volunteers of regional organizations and branches take part in similar coordination fora organized by regional government health departments. RCSU coordinates with the MoH, WHO, ICRC and the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) working group. RCSU supports WHO with translations of COVID-19 information, education and training (IEC) and other materials into Uzbek and Karakalpak languages. RCSU has delivered several thousand information materials related to COVID-19, self-protection, and proper use of PPE, and conducted workshop/information sessions. RCSU has an ongoing partnership with the MoH, providing social care to vulnerable households throughout the country (including people with disabilities, older people and families living below the poverty line). This allows direct access to some of the people most at-risk of mortality from COVID-19. Recognizing the strengths of the RCSU to work with and inside the communities, it will provide key educational messages to communities, especially living in remote areas of the country. In accordance with the statutory tasks of the RCSU, with the participation of 298 full-time employees and 976 volunteers, together with authorized state bodies, active work is being carried out among the population to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its effects as follows: In crowded places - in markets, on public transport, in car parks, in enterprises and mahallas (local communities), employees and volunteers of the Society have conducted health education and personal hygiene discussions, distributed masks and information materials (received from the IFRC, ICRC, WHO and the MoH) as follows: - organized actions (events) - 3608; - the population reached to date is 107,170 people; - distributed masks – 100,902 pcs; - sanitary and hygiene products distributed - 39,289 pcs; - distributed information materials – 33,870 pcs; - the number of posts/mentions in the media (local TV and radio, print media, social networks) - 279 The care for the wards and vulnerable groups of the population, in particular, the lonely, older people, the disabled and others, is increasing: - provided medical and social services - 13,123 people; - persons who received financial or food assistance - 12,901 people; For the implementation of the above activities, funds of the Society and sponsors were spent totaling an amount of more than CHF 35,800. Overall objective: To contribute to the effective containment of the COVID-19 outbreak in Uzbekistan The operational objective is to fulfil the auxiliary role and mandate of the National Society and contribute to reducing illness and loss of life, while protecting the health, safety, wellbeing and livelihoods of the most vulnerable people, by supporting efforts to contain, slow or suppress transmission of the virus, treating cases, and helping affected communities maintain access to essential health and social services. By responding to the secondary socio-economic impacts, the strategy also looks ahead to early recovery from the crisis. As the outbreak evolves, the National Society will: - Prepare for cases imported to the country or new communities in order to be able to respond quickly, appropriately and effectively. - Support rapid containment of localized outbreaks when they occur. - Mitigate the health and social impacts of large-scale outbreaks. The COVID-19 response strategy will be based on the phase of the epidemic and the National Society’s role to support the local response. These may change over time, sometimes rapidly. The RCSU works in all regions of the country. Health Risk Communications and Community Engagement (RCCE): The priority is COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement activities, so that people understand how COVID-19 spreads, how to prevent infection, follow good hygiene practices and how to seek help if someone is affected. The RSCU, as a trusted and established organization with a network of branches and volunteers throughout the country and strong community presence, is uniquely placed to undertake this role. COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving crisis and thrives on misinformation, or misunderstanding, around transmission and prevention; as such, understanding communities’ beliefs and fears, and working with them to share safe practices, warn of risks and dispel false information, is a critical component in this response. Campaigns will be devised in partnership with affected people and communities and adapted for specific audiences. Campaigns will be tested and co-developed with communities as much as possible, to ensure relevance and sensitivity to local culture. Face-to-face community engagement events and information sessions will be conducted safely with limited numbers of people to allow physical distancing. Personal protective equipment will be used during all in-person community engagement activities and attendees trained on how to keep safe while away from home. Whilst RCSU works across all regions, at community level activities will rely on the existing network of community mahalla groups, and the following 1,000 mahallas have been selected for RCCE activities: Republic of Karakalpakstan (103 mahallas), Andijan (130), Bukhara (76) and Namangan (119) regions/oblasts, Samarqand region (167), Surxondaryo region (111), Tashkent region (153), Xorazm region (77) and Tashkent city (63). The mahallas