Rockville, MD, Jan. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gavi, the vaccine alliance, has awarded Abt Associates a contract to help roll out COVID-19 vaccines in up to 24 countries. The contract will form part of a global strategy to stem COVID-19 transmission and loss of life and avert a protracted global health and humanitarian crisis. Gavi is a leader of COVAX - a coalition of organizations and governments aimed at ensuring an equitable distribution of the vaccine worldwide.
The award is the first step for Abt to support implementation of national deployment plans for the COVID-19 vaccine through delivering technical assistance to countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Central Asia.
“Abt can hit the ground running to support Gavi in deploying the vaccines,” notes Eric J. Reading, division vice president, International Development. “We have mechanisms in place across the globe to rapidly deploy experts in areas ranging from planning and coordination, to surveillance, service delivery, training, cold chain and logistics, and demand generation, using our existing strong relationships with Ministries of Health in these countries. ”
Countries include: Afghanistan, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Repubic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
“We are already providing significant technical assistance to strengthen health systems in many of these countries, including to strengthen the COVID-19 response. This has prepared our in country staff and partners with the experience required to deliver the Gavi work,” says Reading.
Abt has decades of experience in rapid response and providing technical assistance to strengthening the delivery of essential health services in the target regions. We are a leader in promoting state-of-the-art service delivery support for immunization, malaria, Zika, and tuberculosis.
In addition, Abt is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19 surveillance in the U.S. and assessing vaccine effectiveness and can bring that knowledge to this program.
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About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. From combatting infectious disease and conducting rigorous program evaluations, to providing technical assistance and training--and more--we partner with clients and communities to tackle their most complex challenges.