UN, Government of Turkmenistan and development partners discuss the priority areas of cooperation in 2021 under the Preparedness and response plan of Turkmenistan to acute infectious disease

The meeting brought together the representatives of national ministries and departments, the UN Agencies and representatives of the development partners supporting the CPRP implementation. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the results of cooperation in the implementation of the National Preparedness and Response Plan of Turkmenistan to acute infectious diseases in 2020 and outline the strategic directions and objectives for the renewed version of the CPRP for 2021.

In her welcoming speech Ms. Christine Weigand, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. stressed: “The great amount of joint work and all human, financial and technical resources that have been mobilized within the implementation of the Plan serves as an evidence of strong commitment by the government of Turkmenistan, UN and development partners to fight against the pandemic”.

In the course of the meeting the participants discussed the key dimensions of 2021 CPRP, including the strengthened capacity of health workers, development of effective preventive measures, vaccination against COVID-19, alignment of treatment protocols with international standards and accelerating information exchange on strengthening measures at the entry points.

“The renewed plan for 2021 will need to continue the work started under Preparedness and Response Plan of Turkmenistan to Acute Infectious Disease and focus on strengthening and rolling out of vaccines, provision of medical services, therapeutics and laboratory diagnostics, treatment as well to health system strengthening and institutional capacity building ” – stated Dr. Tasnim Atatrah, WHO Representative in Turkmenistan during the meeting.

The CPRP was approved by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan on 22 May 2020. It was prepared in response to the call of the UN Secretary General to develop coordinated actions at the country and global levels to counter coronavirus infection within the framework of uniform standards for such plans.

The plan defines the emergency response goals, strategies and actions, and also describes the response structure and the distribution of responsibilities that will ensure the coordination and effectiveness of emergency actions. The plan also identifies measures to combat COVID-19 as a result of the country capacity and preparedness assessment.

The meeting participants agreed to hold regular CPRP review meetings in the course of the year to discuss the progress in implementation of 2021 Preparedness and Response Plan of Turkmenistan to Acute Infectious Disease (CPRP).