On June 4, the first meeting of the National Intersectoral Coordination Committee on the implementation of the One Health approach was held in Ashgabat, which was created at the national level to coordinate, communicate and effectively implement joint activities in this area.

The meeting was organized within the framework of the “One Health” project for the countries of Central Asia, which is being implemented with the support of WHO and partners.

A lot of work Is being done in Turkmenistan to implement the “One Health” approach, the goal of which is to improve the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Successful implementation of this approach requires coordinated collaboration between different sectors of government, according to a WHO press release.

The committeee, headed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, includes representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Adalat of Turkmenistan, the Main State Service “Turkmenstandartlary”, the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan, State Medical University of Turkmenistan named after. M. Karryev, Center for Registration of Medicines and State Control of Their Quality, Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, State Committee of Turkmenistan on Statistics, State Committee of Turkmenistan on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography and other ministries and departments.

The goals and objectives of the creation of the National Intersectoral Coordination Committee are:

• Creating mechanisms for coordination, communication and cooperation, as well as mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating ongoing activities in the implementation of the One Health approach in the country, and between relevant sectors;
• Providing support in the development of national policy to implement the One Health approach in the country;
• Strengthening the capacity of the national system to implement the One Health approach in the country, including planning and preparedness in connection with various risks in the interaction of the human health sector, animal health and ecosystems;
• Reducing the risks associated with zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases, and helping to achieve other health and sustainable development goals;

Strengthening human resource capacity in the various sectors involved.

The establishment of the Committee underlines Turkmenistan’s commitment to promoting a holistic approach to health and sustainable development and will play a critical role in the implementation of the Joint One Health Action Plan 2022-2026.