Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 17 June 2020 – The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) Tajikistan today held a one-day training course on emergency response during a pandemic for officials from the Committee of Emergency Situation (CoES), with 16 participants in attendance.

AKAH plans to deliver the training course to counterpart CoES officials in Rasht and Khorog over the next couple of days, with 48 participants expected to be trained in total. The course will help the various responsible agencies manage the coronavirus outbreak in Tajikistan.

Dr. Samandar Gulshoev, the lead course instructor, talked about the rationale for the training, “As CoES staff have direct contact with COVID-19 patients, they must be adequately equipped to deal with it efficiently and safely. This course therefore gives them a better understanding of this pandemic, and the safe ways of undertaking emergency response during it.”

As such, some of the topics tackled in the course include a general introduction to pandemics and epidemics, and the experience to date, symptoms, and ways of managing COVID-19 in particular. Participants also learned about infection prevention and control, and how to take precautions when distributing humanitarian aid and PPEs. 

AKAH Tajikistan and the other agencies within the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), are continuing their support to the Government of Tajikistan and various local institutions, mobilising resources, improving capacities, and providing critical care, to help manage the ongoing emergency situation of the COVID-19 outbreak across the country.

For further information, please contact:
AKAH Communications at akahcommunications@akdn.org 

NOTE

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), which merges the capabilities of Focus Humanitarian Assistance, the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, and the Aga Khan Development Network’s Disaster Risk Management Initiative, focuses on preparing for both sudden and slow-onset disasters. AKAH works to ensure that poor people live in physical settings that are as safe as possible from the effects of natural disasters; that residents who do live in high-risk areas are able to cope with disasters in terms of preparedness and response; and that these settings provide access to social and financial services that lead to greater opportunity and a better quality of life. Initially, priority areas of AKAH will include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and India. Read more about the agency at http://www.akdn.org/our-agencies/aga-khan-agency-habitat