The European Union and WHO today handed to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia 30 medical refrigerators for vaccine storage to ensure that vaccines are adequately stored all over the country. Vaccine refrigerators are designed to store vaccines and other medical products at a stable temperature to ensure they do not degrade, resulting in inadequate or no immune response in the recipient. The European Union and WHO stand by the Government of Armenia in the efforts to provide sufficient supply of vaccines to citizens and overcome the pandemic faster.

 

Jan Plešinger, Chargé d'affaires a.i. at the EU Delegation to Armenia, Lena Nanushyan, RA Deputy Minister of Health, Oleg Storozhenko, the Special Representative of WHO in Armenia and Jelena Milosevic, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. were at the National Center of Disease Control and Prevention to receive the equipment.

 

‘The EU is honored to provide assistance to Armenia jointly with the WHO, in order to strengthen capacities of the healthcare sector and to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The refrigerators will be used to keep vaccines and other medical products at a stable temperature, thus offering safer storage facilities, and – consequently - benefiting Armenian citizens. We need to patiently continue the fight against this pandemic together,’ said chargé d'affaires a.i. at the EU Delegation to Armenia Jan Plešinger.

 

‘During the past years primary healthcare facilities have been equipped through the support of various organizations, however the donated refrigerators will enable organizing the currently overloaded process of vaccination more efficiently,’ mentioned Lena Nanushyan, the RA Deputy Minister of Health, adding that the EU and WHO are always standing next to the Government of Armenia in the pandemic response. 

 

The European Union and the WHO Regional Office for Europe work together in a major effort to support deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in Armenia and strengthen routine immunization systems. Achievements under the project include the delivery of 1000 sets of emergency anaphylaxis kits, used for severe allergic reaction to the primary healthcare facilities.

 

‘We consider it essential to supply primary health care facilities with necessary equipment to support deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in the country. In cooperation with our national partners, we also work towards strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals, raising awareness of the primary healthcare professionals, as well as the general population of COVID-19 vaccination.’ added Oleg Storozhenko, the Special Representative of WHO in Armenia.

 

Background information:

 

The European Union and the WHO Regional Office for Europe work together in a major effort to support deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in the six European Union Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The project funded by the European Union and implemented by WHO/Europe covers all phases - constituting “end-to-end” support - of COVID-19 vaccine deployment and vaccination and serves as a major investment to strengthen routine immunization systems in the six countries. 

 

For more information please contact:

 

Lusine Ghukasyan, Communication Consultant, WHO Country Office in Armenia (+374 94 64 22 21).

Source of information for journalists

• Stay updated via the interactive dashboards on the latest COVID-19 statistics at WHO HQ and WHO/Europe; these provide real-time, in-depth information on the situation.

• Please visit the  WHO website for COVID-19 advice for the public.

 

 

 

 

  -   Press release