WHO CO in Turkmenistan jointly with WHO Europe facilitates the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in preparation for the third round of STEPS survey in Turkmenistan

The expert mission comprised of Ivo Rakovac, regional adviser for noncommunicable diseases (NCD) surveillance of WHO European Office for the prevention and control of NCDs, Mr. Sergei Bychkov, Ms. Laura Vremis, Mr. Enrique Gerardo Loyola Elizondo and Ms. Natalia Fedkina, consultants of WHO European Office for the prevention and control of NCDs.

The purpose of the visit was to convene a training workshop on data collection and to provide a technical support for the preparation of the third round of the STEPS survey in Turkmenistan in 2023 as well as to conduct a pilot survey.

The 5-day training was held at the International Research and Education Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan (MoHMIT) and brought together representatives of the MoHMIT, State statistics department of the MoHMIT, Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan, STEPS coordinating group, including supervisors and interviewers (data collectors) from across 5 velayats of the country.

During the training, the STEPS – stepwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, burden of NCDs and risk factors in Turkmenistan, as well as methods of conducting interviews were presented to the participants. They got acquainted with the methods and techniques of selecting an interview participant in households using eSTEPS Android device, recording the obtained information on tablets, collecting information on demographic and behavioral risk factors, and making and recording physical and biochemical measurements. The attained experience and knowledge of the participants was tested during the pilot survey.

On the last day of the training workshop the medical specialists got feedback on their experience in conducting a pilot survey, reviewed the data inputs and received materials for data collection in the fields.