A round table was held in the conference hall of the UN building in Ashgabat today, where the results of the assessment of the impact of the Aral Sea crisis and environmental degradation on the health and nutrition of mothers and children were discussed.

It was attended by specialists of specialized medical institutions of the country and employees of UN agencies accredited in Turkmenistan. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of health and medical industry of Turkmenistan and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The participants of the round table discussed the results of the study on the assessment of health and nutrition of women and children in Dashoguz province affected by the Aral sea crisis and environmental degradation. Experts from the Ministry of health, with technical support from UNICEF and experts from the Sanigest research Agency, assessed and developed a set of recommendations for potential strategies and actions to mitigate identified problems and improve maternal and child health in the region.

As the representative of the Ministry of health and medical industry Muhammet Ergeshov noted, all interested parties were invited to participate in the "round table", as the solution of the problems of the region requires a cross-sectoral approach. The report on the evaluation study will be finalized taking into account the views of all participants of the meeting. This will make it possible to reach consensus among professionals, governmental and non-governmental organizations and other key stakeholder groups, both at the national and province levels.

It was also stressed that the survival, health, and well-being of women and children are essential for the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The country joined the main international conventions and strategies, declared the need to strengthen policies and practices aimed at ensuring the development and health of the child, said the representative of the Ministry of health and medical industry, thanking UNICEF, who and other UN agencies for the fruitful cooperation for the benefit of women and children of Turkmenistan.