The conference of medical and sanitary institutions “Cooperation of the participating countries of the Non-Aligned Movement on issues of preparedness and counteraction to emerging threats in the field of public health” continues its work in Ashgabat. The representative forum is held on the initiative of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, TDH reports.

It is noted that numerous diplomats and representatives of the medical community from almost 30 member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as authoritative international organizations, primarily the World Health Organization and other structural divisions of the UN, were invited to participate in the current forum.

The agenda of the conference, organized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in a hybrid format, included a wide range of topical issues of common interest.

Particular importance is attached to practical steps to develop mechanisms for strengthening and intensifying effective cooperation in the field of medicine and sanitation, which is based on the experience gained during the coronavirus pandemic and in the subsequent post-pandemic period.

Speaking at the plenary session, Director of the Country Support and Partnerships Department, Acting Director of the Emergency Situations Department of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Gundo Weiler, expressed sincere gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan for the initiative to hold this event, which provides an opportunity to discuss issues of interest and outline further joint actions.

As emphasized, health diplomacy is an important element of collaborative efforts to achieve health security and equity by promoting international cooperation and coordination that help prevent, detect and respond to global health threats.

The speech noted that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has moved health to the center of global dialogue, has clearly demonstrated that the well-being of humanity directly depends on health systems, which need to be strengthened through international partnerships.

Welcoming the audience on behalf of the UN country team, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko expressed confidence that the current forum will be another important step in strengthening cooperation and responding to challenges in the field of public health.

In light of Turkmenistan’s proposals to intensify interaction between member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Health Organization and other interested international partners, the need to develop specific mechanisms for multilateral cooperation, exchange of accumulated experience and information was emphasized.

Highly appreciating the position of Turkmenistan and its significant contribution to global efforts to solve modern problems, Shlapachenko called for support of the proposal of the Turkmen side to hold regular meetings and conferences of medical and sanitary institutions, which will become a platform for intensifying contacts and discussing new challenges, as well as for developing specific plans joint actions.

At the same time, the conference participants emphasized that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which is the second largest international organization after the UN, has, over almost 60 years of its existence, become an important player in the global health architecture and a key partner of the WHO, in cooperation with which common problems are effectively resolved in the field of human health.

During the international forum, reports on the achievements of Turkmenistan in the field of healthcare aroused particular interest. We are talking, first of all, about the steady improvement of the national health care system, increasing the range and quality of medical services provided to the population in accordance with international standards, training highly qualified personnel, etc.

The speeches noted that as a result of the successful implementation of the State Program Saglyk, the average life expectancy of the population is steadily increasing in the country, the infrastructure of the industry is being modernized, which is regularly replenished by modern medical centers that have no analogues in the region, innovative technologies, the best world experience and achievements in field of medicine.

Great importance is attached to further strengthening ties with leading international organizations, including the UN and its specialized structures - the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, as well as with major medical institutions and research centers.

Noting that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, forum delegates emphasized the importance of enhancing joint action to achieve the intended goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Among the important steps aimed at ensuring collective security in the healthcare sector, the development and adoption of a WHO convention, agreement or other international document on the prevention, detection and response to emerging pandemics was identified.

Among the priority tasks is also the systematization of cooperation between the countries of the NAM in the scientific and medical field. It is necessary to intensify the exchange of experience and methods in the field of combating dangerous infectious diseases, to put this work on a regular and permanent basis, taking into account the valuable developments and positive experience accumulated in each of the member countries of the organization.

By all accounts, the 21st century threat of COVID-19 has highlighted the need for an expanded global surveillance system, investment in research and the development of new technologies.

All this requires coordinated cooperation between governments, international organizations, scientific and medical communities, which the current conference contributed to, which, by all accounts, became an important stage in the joint efforts to create a safe and sustainable future for the planet.

Following the plenary session, the conference continued through separate thematic sessions: “Strengthening partnerships and collaboration through lessons learned from the pandemic and recovery from the pandemic”, “New tools and approaches for collaborative learning and collective action created during the COVID-19 pandemic”. 19 and other public health emergencies,” “A One Health approach to reducing threats to the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.”

Day two of the conference will focus on the role of health diplomacy in achieving health security and equity, and promoting international cooperation and coordination to prevent, detect and respond to major health threats.

A large cultural program is provided for conference participants, including an excursion to the “smart” city of Arkadag, as well as visits to museums and attractions of the Turkmen capital.