Turkmenistan Gains Skills to Manage Health Emergencies

Representatives of the national ministries, members of the recently established National Working Group on Emergency Risk Communications (ERC), have built their capacities in emergency communications as part of national preparations to the V Asian Indoor and Martial Games to be held in September 2017 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in cooperation with the WHO Country Office organized a national training and simulation exercise (SimEx) carried out in the Olympic Village. The main objective of the training and SimEx was to build capacity of the communication group throughout the preparedness, response and recovery phases of a serous public health event.

The National ERC Working Group consisting of the communication focal points of the key national ministries and members of the UN Communications Group has been mandated to cope with outbreaks and health emergencies during the first ever biggest sports forum held in Turkmenistan.  

The Group drafted and reviewed the ERC Action Plan. The Plan sets forth the overarching goal of communications during a health emergency and aims to mitigate adverse effects through ensuring informed decision-making and encouraging positive behaviour change in target audiences. The document also describes the main principles of risk communication and provides the tools to be used in disease outbreaks and health emergencies.

The ERC plan considers MERS-CoV as potential threat during the sports forum. By September 2017 the Working Group will complement the plan by other potential threats as earthquake, mudslide or other infections.