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From 7 to 11 October, a technical mission of the World Health Organization (WHO) was conducted in Ashgabat, aimed at strengthening integrated epidemiological surveillance for influenza and acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Turkmenistan. The activity was implemented within the framework of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Mechanism.

The mission included experts from the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), including Dr. Fielding James Edward, a technical specialist in respiratory virus surveillance.

The experts provided comprehensive advisory and technical support to national partners. A key stage of the mission was the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the updated sentinel epidemiological surveillance protocol. Special attention was given to:

• Components of epidemiological and virological surveillance.

• Data collection and analysis systems.

• Integration of updates into the electronic surveillance platform.

WHO specialists also conducted a capacity-building workshop focused on the principles of sentinel and mosaic epidemiological surveillance, as well as the management of virological data.

As part of the mission, visits were organized to key healthcare institutions in Ashgabat, including the Virology Reference Laboratory of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition. The team assessed laboratory surveillance and the operational capacity of the overall sentinel surveillance system.

The mission concluded with a strategic discussion of the results and the provision of technical recommendations. The WHO Regional Office for Europe reaffirmed its commitment to continued cooperation in supporting Turkmenistan’s efforts to strengthen preparedness and response in the field of public health.

WHO and a German expert held a training session for tuberculosis specialists

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Photo: provided by the WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan