As part of the visit of the World Bank experts, a meeting on Unified Health was held in Ashgabat
A workshop on Unified Health was held in Ashgabat, at the Yildiz Hotel on Wednesday. The event was organized as part of the visit of the World Bank delegation to Turkmenistan from March 11 to 15 to promote the implementation of the Framework Action Program "Unified Health in Central Asia".
The meeting was attended by representatives of the country's departments - the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the State Veterinary Service under it, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, and international partners from the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
To support the implementation of the Framework for Action, five Central Asian countries, together with the World Bank, FAO and WHO, as implementing organizations, received a grant from the Pandemic Fund. In addition to this grant, the World Bank initiated the preparation of a Regional Multi-Step Programmatic Approach (MPA) program, tentatively called the "One Health Program for Pandemic Prevention and Sustainability of Food Systems in Central Asia".
This project, which will complement the activities implemented through the Pandemic Fund grant, will support large-scale investments in coordination, communication, information, regulatory framework, knowledge development, human resources, risk-based surveillance, prevention and response, laboratory capacity and data systems through the "One Health" approach in Central Asia.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss and prepare a detailed plan and mechanisms for the implementation of the Pandemic Fund grant, as well as to prepare a program for a multi-stage programmatic approach. Previous discussions with industry ministries have identified the following priority areas for investment: the potential of a network of veterinary and public health laboratories, equipment and digital information systems; possibilities for diagnosing zoonoses in wildlife; systems for identifying and processing animal data; opportunities for the regulation and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance; as well as the revision and approval of intersectoral action plans to combat individual zoonoses.
The results of this meeting will make it possible to launch the implementation of the planned priority activities.
Turkmenistan and the World Bank actively cooperate in priority areas of development through various instruments, including investment projects, technical assistance and advisory services, as well as through projects at the regional level. Efforts aimed at implementing activities within the framework of the Unified Health concept are also based on the results of previous activities in three main sectors: health, agriculture and environmental protection, and will continue activities and investments in these areas to strengthen coordination and interaction between sectors that are priorities in the Unified Health concept. In particular, activities and investments within the framework of the project aimed at strengthening preparedness and response measures for COVID-19, which was implemented in Turkmenistan, will serve as a basis and complement efforts to implement the Unified Health agenda.
The Framework Action Program "Unified Healthcare in Central Asia" defines the areas of activity that will contribute to improving the competitiveness of agriculture and expanding regional trade, as well as the export of animal products to world markets.
Agriculture makes a significant contribution to the region's GDP and is one of the key assets of the vast rural areas of Central Asia. The implementation of the Framework Programme can support the sustainable expansion of domestic production and the creation of economic opportunities in rural areas.
In addition, the "One Health" approach can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and productivity of landscapes by improving the health of ecosystems in Central Asia.
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