The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has delivered 12 tons of personal protective equipment for health care workers in Tajikistan to support the country's efforts in combatting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ADB’s Tajikistan Resident Mission said on September 21.

The medical supplies comprising 22,000 pieces of protective coveralls of different sizes; 8,000 pieces of isolation gowns; and 175,000 pairs of shoe covers came from Cambodia.

This is the first shipment of goods procured under the $928,000 grant approved by ADB for Tajikistan in July. The second and third shipments are expected in September and October.

The grant is drawn from the ADB's ongoing regional technical assistance and complements ADB's previous COVID-19 assistance to Tajikistan including a $50 million budget support grant under the COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program to help fund the government's comprehensive response plan and countercyclical measures; $2.5 million grant from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to further support the government's emergency response; and a $100,000 grant reallocated from the Tajikistan Maternal and Child Health Integrated Care Project to procure medical supplies.