World Health Organization Launches Mission to Boost Turkmenistan’s Flu, Respiratory Infection Surveillance

The World Health Organization (WHO) has carried out a technical mission in Ashgabat focused on strengthening Turkmenistan’s integrated epidemiological surveillance system for influenza and acute respiratory infections (ARI).

This effort forms part of the WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Mechanism, The Caspian Post informs via Turkmen media.

The mission brought together experts from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, including Dr. Fielding James Edward, a specialist in respiratory virus surveillance. The team provided comprehensive technical guidance and support to Turkmenistan’s national health authorities.

Central to the mission was the monitoring and evaluation of the updated sentinel epidemiological surveillance protocol. Special attention was given to key areas such as epidemiological and virological surveillance components, data collection and analysis systems, and the integration of new updates into the country’s electronic surveillance platform.

WHO experts also conducted a capacity-building workshop designed to enhance knowledge on sentinel and mosaic surveillance techniques, alongside effective management of virological data.

The delegation visited key healthcare institutions in Ashgabat, including the Virology Reference Laboratory at the Center for Public Health and Nutrition, where they assessed laboratory surveillance capabilities and the overall effectiveness of the sentinel surveillance network.

The mission concluded with a strategic review of findings and the presentation of technical recommendations. The WHO Regional Office for Europe reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing collaboration in supporting Turkmenistan’s efforts to bolster public health preparedness and response.