BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Uzbekistan plans to allocate $3 trillion soums ($287 million) in 2021 for the fight against coronavirus and the purchase of a vaccine against this disease, Trend reports referring to the Minister of Finance of Uzbekistan.
Previously, the Ministry of Innovative Development and the Ministry of Health has begun the third phase of clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. based on the development of the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In early December, Uzbekistan received samples of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine from Russia. Samples of the Sputnik V vaccine will be used in Uzbekistan for testing required for registration. It is expected that Uzbekistan will establish industrial production of the vaccine in the country. The approximate cost of the object may amount to $53 million.
The project is stipulated by the decree of the President of Uzbekistan "On comprehensive measures to develop biotechnology and improve the system for ensuring the country's biological safety".
Within the framework of the decree, it is planned to create not only the production of vaccines but also a modern laboratory of the third level of security, where it will be possible to develop new types of vaccines, to study virus strains.
Earlier First Deputy Director of the Agency for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare Botirjon Kurbanov said that Uzbekistan plans to vaccinate over 60 percent of the population against coronavirus by June 2021.
In addition, the process of testing the Chinese vaccine against COVID-19 has started in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan and China at the end of October agreed to conduct clinical trials of a recombinant vaccine against coronavirus in Uzbekistan.
In total, it is planned to allocate 19.6 trillion soums ($1.87 billion) for the healthcare sector of Uzbekistan. More than 60 percent of these costs will be directed to the salaries of health workers.
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