Tajikistan’s Path to Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response
Before:
Tajikistan lacked the systems needed to protect its adults and health workers from deadly respiratory viruses.
After:
The country now runs its own self-sustained vaccination program, using its own national funds to protect its citizens every year.
Before:
Tajikistan lacked the systems needed to protect its adults and health workers from deadly respiratory viruses.
After:
The country now runs its own self-sustained vaccination program, using its own national funds to protect its citizens every year.
Flu campaign in Central Asia. Photo courtesy of Ilya Karimdjanov.
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, The Task Force for Global Health’s Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI) recognized a critical gap in global health: while childhood immunization was robust, systems for adult vaccination remained dangerously underdeveloped.
Founded in 2013 (originally as the Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Introduction), PIVI’s mission was to build the infrastructure for seasonal influenza programs in low- and middle-income countries—not just to fight influenza each year, but to create the “muscle memory” required for pandemic readiness.
PIVI’s approach was proven successful during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many nations struggled to reach adult populations with limited vaccination systems, countries with established influenza programs were more prepared, with a trained health workforce, delivery platforms, and distribution systems in place to help mitigate the threat and reduce harm.
In fact, in a recent study published in the journal Vaccines, countries with seasonal flu vaccination programs were far better prepared to roll out COVID-19 vaccines—reaching 46% coverage within a year, compared to 25% in countries without such systems, or about 2.5 times higher overall.
In 2019, the country of Tajikistan committed to strengthening its vaccine system by partnering with PIVI and the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch its first national seasonal influenza program. This foundation gave the country an annual, repeatable framework to protect its health workers and high-risk adults.
In 2025, this journey reached a historic milestone. The Tajikistan Ministry of Health and Social Protection fully transitioned to a self-sustained model, procuring influenza vaccines using domestic funds for the first time. This achievement made the WHO European Region the first in the world to reach 100% implementation of national influenza programs across all Member States.
“Procuring influenza vaccines through the state budget confirms Tajikistan’s commitment to prevention and readiness for seasonal epidemics,” said Dr. Faizali Saidzoda, General Director, State Institution Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis in Tajikistan. “We highly value the collaboration with PIVI, the WHO and other partners, which has helped strengthen the program.”
By shifting from external support to national ownership, Tajikistan moved from vulnerability to resilience. This success serves as a global blueprint: by investing in routine adult vaccination today, systems remain sharp, sustainable, and ready to respond to the next pandemic before it even begins.
