UNFPA has published a strategy of its future activity in Turkmenistan
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) this year celebrates double anniversary – 50th year of establishment of the organisation and 25th year of the International Conference on Population and Development, which became a turning point in the history of mankind. Then 179 countries of the world recognised that reproductive health, expansion of rights and possibilities of women and gender equality - the basic way to sustainable development. They also adopted the program of actions.
Today the UNFPA office in Ashgabat has summed up this work and together with partners has formulated strategic lines of activity for 2021-2025.
Among the significant results reached for almost 30 years of work with state bodies of Turkmenistan - increase of national potential in areas of statistics of population and strengthening of material base of the statistics agency of the country, development of the National strategy of development of information system of public health services for 2019-2025, expansion of educational activity in the field of reproductive health, work with the youth and many other things.
It is possible to enumerate achievements long. And it is possible to tell about them by personal examples.
Lachin Seidova, invalid of group I, dreamt of her child, and her attending physician supported her in her decision to become pregnant and give birth. Today son of Lachin - Resul goes to the first form and diligently writes out letters in his writing-book. Without support of medical workers and availability of services of public health services this small miracle would not be possible.
Guncha Annageldyeva - student of the International University for the Humanities and Development, volunteer of numerous actions in Ashgabat. For her the possibility to find a job became results of participation in teamwork of Turkmenistan and UNFPA to realise herself in career.
About visible and felt results speak from screens 10-year-old girls. Children from the different countries of the world with pleasure tell about whether want to marry and when they plan to make it, how many children wish to get, what career they prefer. Here they, results on advancement of principles of planning of family, equally accessible education, realisation of the right to work and its worthy payment. For them the world changed and continues to change.
- Our cooperation with the government of Turkmenistan also has strongly changed, has grown, and has found the new forms answering to problems of the present. In 1992 we began our basic support with preparation of the medical personnel concerning reproductive health and obstetrics, purchases of medical equipment and deliveries of contraceptives. For today UNFPA realises the fourth program of cooperation for 2016-2020, having passed to strategic level of partnership, - noted Ayna Seytlieva, the head of representation UNFPA in the country.
She also sounded the cost of future changes at a global scale. The fantastic figure - 264 billion US dollars - is required for achievement of strategic results by 2030. But it not simply expenses, it is investments into the healthy, comprehensively education and able-bodied generation which can make a powerful contribution to world economy development.
At the International conference on population and development in Nairobi Turkmenistan sounded the obligations taken by the state:
- In the field of improvement of reproductive health - to purchase four kinds of contraceptive agents at the expense of the state budget with free distribution among 80 % of vulnerable women - till 2025;
- To develop the budget based national strategy on health protection of mothers, new-borns, children and teenagers for 2020-2030. In strategy introduction of free base package deal on protection of parent and reproductive health, including for teenagers is considered;
- To raise quality of education in issues of reproductive health at schools by training not less than 50 % of teachers of the subject according to UNESCO standards.
- To carry out in 2020 inspection of state of health and position of women in family results of which will form a basis for the new law on well-being and violence prevention in family;
- To develop the next national plan of action on maintenance of gender equality in Turkmenistan;
- To develop the new scientifically-proved government program on realisation of the Law on the youth policy;
- To hold population census and available housing in 2022 according to the international standards results of which will form a basis for scientifically well-founded demographic policy and progress in SDGs achievement.
- Without adherence of the government to invest in issues of population, reproductive health and gender equality, productivity of our actions could not be provided. Together we search for ways to increase these investments and to make their more effective, - Elena Panova, resident co-ordinator of the United Nations in Turkmenistan noted.
Altyn ASHYROVA
