At the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as part of the General Debate, high-level meetings were held on the fight against tuberculosis and on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on September 26 and 27.
Among those attending the meetings were senior officials of specialized healthcare facilities of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan.
Speakers from our country have highlighted that in Turkmenistan the nation’s health is a top priority for national and social development, and a main focus of the policy pursued by the head of state.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Global Agenda, which also include healthcare as a key component, are an integral part of the 2017-2022 Presidential Development Program of Turkmenistan.
Massive investments and comprehensive programs in the healthcare sector have enabled to bring the national healthcare system up to par with the world standards and present-day requirements, completely eliminate several dangerous diseases and considerably improve other indicators.
Having designed the state policy aimed at achieving maximum effectiveness of a system of socio-economic and medical measures to maintain and enhance public health, and ensure constitutional rights to healthcare for all people, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has introduced a wider and more integrated approach to healthcare issues.
Not only health is seen as the wellbeing of a person and family, it is also the continued viability a country, a necessary prerequisite for high labor potential, a cultural development indicator, and a purely objective evaluation criterion of the government’s performance.
This is one of the most important institutions of national security and the highest priority of a civilized nation.
High humanistic principles, a strengthened scientific and legal framework of the health care sector, the development of health services at all levels, in cities and villages in line with the WHO standards are the defining characteristics of the state health policy pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Doctor of Medicine and Economics, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, Honorary Academician, Professor and Doctor of many universities, institutes in the CIS countries and others, and international academies.
International certificates of the successful eradication of several infectious diseases as well as the fact that Turkmen doctors’ experience in this field has been recommended for the adoption in countries of the WHO European Region serve as the due recognition of Turkmenistan’s success in tackling public health issues.
In particular, when it comes to tuberculosis, which is considered as a serious threat to public health, Turkmenistan was one of the first countries in the world to adopt the newest effective strategies, such as DOTS, DOTS-Plus, Stop TB, and End TB in the fight against the disease.
Key legal documents and guidelines on tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Turkmenistan are regularly updated with the assistance of the World Health Organization. These efforts have led to significant visible improvements in this field.
The 2016-2020 National Program of Turkmenistan for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis fully conforms to the 20162020 Tuberculosis Action Plan for the WHO European Region and the Health Program.
The TB service has been successfully integrated into primary medical care with closer interdepartmental cooperation direct interaction between ministries, structures of civil society and international partners.
Expanded modern laboratories, the adoption of advanced diagnostic techniques, improved access to first- and second-line anti-TB drugs, as well as measures designed to introduce new treatment methods greatly help to improve the diagnostic quality and accuracy.
It is important to note that the Government of Turkmenistan has been supplying reagents and test kits for tuberculosis laboratory-based diagnostic procedures, and first-line anti-TB drugs since 2016. In 2017, the Global Drug Facility (the Stop TB Partnership) awarded Turkmenistan for leading efforts to efficiently plan purchase orders for anti-tuberculosis drugs.
The last few years have seen many positive changes in TB surveillance and monitoring. WHO estimates suggest that TB case rates per 100,000 persons have decreased by about 50 percent. Case detention rates rose from 48 percent in 2007 to 80 percent in 2015.
The provision of second-line anti-TB drugs dramatically increased from zero in 2012 to 90 percent in 2015. The National Tuberculosis Program is making every effort to motivate TB patients to seek constant care and stick closely to their treatment plan, offering support to drug-resistant TB patients and monitoring the safety of their treatment.
Turkmenistan entirely supports the idea of stepping up the measures aimed to eradicate tuberculosis, and as a member country of the WHO European Region, shares and promotes the values, principles and goals set by the organization until 2035.
Cooperation and partner relations with WHO and other international organizations and agencies, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Agency for International Development (USAID) have made a contribution to the National Tuberculosis Program’s success.
Importantly, the efforts to reform and boost the Program’s effectiveness are based on a systematic approach that aims to enhance the potential of the entire health system.
As for the theme of the other meeting The Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases’, Turkmenistan has gained a wealth of positive experience in this field.One of the important ways to relieve the burden of NGDs is by reducing the disease-related risk factors.
First of all, this includes smoking control, the promotion of healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle, as well as other preventive measures, efforts focused on early disease detection and treatment as part of primary medical care services, and the creation of a monitoring system to prevent and combat NGDs, including the SDGs.
Our country can serve as an excellent example and model for successful smoking control. Significant progress in the issue was achieved after signing, ratifying and implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco.
Official figures indicate that these measures are successful “investments”, because they can help to substantially reduce the need for more complicated treatment procedures, when taken promptly.The Health State Program, a basis for these efforts, includes the following priorities: the development of primary healthcare, including medical staff training and retraining, improvement of diagnostic services and healthcare facilities, promotion of preventive medicine, and better access to high-quality medical services.
The implementation of the Program jointly with the country’s social policy, whose central focus is on health promotion, the development of sports and fitness movements, building of modern healthcare infrastructure, which apart from specialized medical centers, also includes resort, sports, and tourist facilities, helps to maximize the positive effect.
This all aims to create a healthy society that believes that good health is the greatest wealth’.
The adoption of the Ashgabat Declaration, a roadmap for non-communicable disease actions in the European Region and in the world, at the 1st WHO European Ministerial Conference on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases marked one of the most crucial stages in healthcare, both regionally and globally.
In addition, our country has adopted the following programs in line with WHO recommendations: the 2018-2024 National Alcohol Prevention Program, the 2018-2024 National Physical Activity Strategy, and the 2018-2022 National Mental Health Program.
The implementation of these programs will contribute to the efficient use of the health sector’s enormous potential and will play an important role in strengthening international cooperation.
The provision of reliable and accurate information about the situation in the healthcare sector is an important part of cooperation and enables to adopt optimal political health-related solutions.
In the last few years our country has carried out surveillance of overweight and obesity in children (COSI), trans-fats, salt and sugar in food (FEEDcities Project), as well as main risk factors (STEPS).
Finally, Turkmenistan is working towards becoming a tobacco-free country by 2025. The goal should be achieved through the full implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as well as a number of innovative steps aimed to protect children from tobacco and reduce cigarette smoking.
Recent Global Youth Tobacco surveys (GYTS) and STEPS surveys have found that 0.1 percent of young people and 3.4 percent of adults smoke cigarettes.
As informed at the session of the UN General Assembly, the 2nd high-level WHO European Ministerial Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health is scheduled for April 9-10, 2019.
It will focus on fulfilling the obligations, specified in the Ashgabat Declaration as well as further steps in the European Region in line with the decisions adopted at the current UN General Assembly.