Health
The International Paediatric Centre is preparing to open
02.09.2026Construction of the International Paediatric Centre in the southern part of Ashgabat is nearing completion. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov recently inspected the progress of work at the site. This was reported by the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The five-storey medical complex is designed to provide highly specialised care for children over the age of three. Its opening is scheduled to coincide with the 35th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence and will be timed to mark Healthcare and Medical Industry Workers’ Day. The centre will collaborate with leading foreign clinics. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov highlighted the centre’s importance for the development of paediatric medicine. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for diagnosis, treatment and high-tech therapy, as well as the integration of digital solutions and artificial intelligence. The consultation area has been designed with the specific needs of child psychology in mind. The diagnostics department is equipped with systems for functional and radiological diagnostics, endoscopic equipment and AI-based data processing technologies. The therapeutic department has equipment for digital radiography and intensive care. The operating theatre and intensive care unit are designed to enable online data exchange between departments. The post-operative wards are equipped in accordance with infection control requirements. The hospital provides facilities for children to stay round the clock, and there is a playground on the premises. Particular attention is paid to hygiene and sanitation standards, sterility, cleanliness and effective ventilation of the premises.
AI will help speed up diagnosis at the new Dental Centre in Ashgabat
28.08.2026On 26 August, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, inspected the final stage of construction of the Dental Centre and instructed that its digital capabilities be utilised to the full. The Head of State emphasised the need to introduce artificial intelligence technologies and modern equipment to speed up diagnosis and improve the quality of medical care, according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. Given the Centre’s high patient throughput, the President of Turkmenistan emphasised the importance of well-organised operations, the prompt reception of patients and the provision of expert consultations. The facility will carry out anaesthesia, tooth extractions and fillings, reconstructive maxillofacial surgery, prosthetics and dental implant procedures. Services will also include orthodontic treatment, the fabrication of custom-made dentures with colour matching, early diagnosis of oral pathologies and the correction of defects in the maxillofacial region. Particular attention has been paid to specialised monitors and AI systems, which will enable the exchange of medical data with domestic clinics and facilitate international consultations with overseas partners.
Construction of the region’s largest cancer centre is nearing completion in Ashgabat
23.08.2026The National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, inspected the progress of construction of the region’s largest International Scientific and Clinical Oncology Centre in the northern part of Ashgabat. The facility is in the final stages of construction, reports IIC of Turkmenistan. He was joined on the tour by Professors Fritz and Susanne Spelsberg from the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital Munich. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The centre will house departments of radiological and functional diagnostics, radiopharmacy, and adult and paediatric haematology. The complex is equipped with a system for the safe storage and neutralisation of radioactive medical waste. Provision has also been made for a digital infrastructure utilising artificial intelligence technology for the analysis of medical images. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed using the centre as a treatment and educational base for training specialists and creating a unified medical campus in the northern part of Ashgabat. The opening of the International Scientific and Clinical Oncology Centre is scheduled for this year. It will coincide with Turkmenistan’s Healthcare Workers’ Day and an international scientific and practical conference.
A training course for leading medical specialists is taking place in Ashgabat
20.08.2026On 19 August, a three-day training course entitled ‘Gender-Responsive Approach in Healthcare’ began in Ashgabat for 30 leading medical specialists from all regions of Turkmenistan. The event was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), according to the news website Turkmenportal. Participants in the training include chief general practitioners, obstetricians and gynaecologists, and specialists in reproductive health and family medicine from five velayats, Ashgabat and the city of Arkadag. The training aims to develop skills in applying gender-sensitive and rights-based approaches when providing healthcare. Participants are learning methods of gender-sensitive communication, reducing stigma and discrimination, and ensuring equal access to high-quality healthcare services. The training is being conducted as part of a joint initiative between UNDP and UNFPA to support inclusive and people-centred healthcare services. The programme has been developed in line with the recommendations of the 2024 assessment of community participation, human rights and gender aspects in the context of tuberculosis in Turkmenistan. The initiative also provides support to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in strengthening the national health system.
A system for the protection of maternal and child health is being developed in Turkmenistan
05.08.2026In Turkmenistan, implementation is continuing of the National Programme for the Protection of Maternal and Child Health for 2026–2030, ‘Healthy Mother – Healthy Child – Healthy Future’, approved by a Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan on 20 June 2026. The document aims to improve reproductive health, reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality, and expand access to high-quality healthcare, according to the news agency TDH. The programme provides for disease prevention, early diagnosis, improvements to medical care for women during the antenatal and postnatal periods, the development of a screening system, support for families and improved training for medical staff. There are plans to review the educational programmes of relevant educational institutions, introduce new specialisms and increase student intake. In addition, the country is continuing to implement state programmes in the healthcare sector, including the ‘Saglyk’ (‘Health’) State Programme. Particular attention is being paid to breastfeeding and the prevention of iron-deficiency anaemia, iodine deficiency and vitamin D deficiency. According to the 2023 National Micronutrient Survey, the prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age, pregnant women and children has decreased compared with 2011. The development of preventive medicine, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, physical education and sport, as well as the improvement of the primary healthcare system, remain key priorities. The modernisation of medical infrastructure is continuing. Across the country’s regions, clinics, research and clinical centres, health centres and maternal and child health centres are being built and refurbished. Healthcare facilities are being supplied with modern equipment, medicines, consumables and specialised transport. The programme provides for the further development of the regional maternal and child health system, the introduction of modern clinical protocols, the strengthening of the regulatory framework and the expansion of international cooperation. Particular attention is paid to reproductive health, the prevention of infertility, the early detection of congenital and acquired diseases, and the maintenance of high immunisation coverage. In accordance with the National Immunisation Schedule, children are vaccinated against 14 infectious diseases. The procurement of vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation is funded from the state budget. Support continues in the country for children without parental care, as do the activities of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship, which funds treatment, operations, rehabilitation and the purchase of medical equipment. The national programme will be implemented in two phases: between 2026 and 2028, the main activities will be carried out and an interim assessment of the results will be conducted; between 2029 and 2030, the programme will be completed and its targets achieved.
The implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach in Turkmenistan was discussed in Ashgabat
25.07.2026The fifth meeting of the National Intersectoral Coordination Committee on the Implementation of the ‘One Health’ Approach in Turkmenistan, supported by the WHO, took place at the UN building in Ashgabat. This was reported by IIC of Turkmenistan. The meeting was attended by representatives of the country’s relevant ministries and agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia. Participants reviewed the results of work carried out during the first half of 2026 and identified priority tasks within the framework of the regional project on pandemic prevention and preparedness. The main focus was on developing cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of human, animal and environmental health, as well as raising public awareness of the prevention of zoonotic infections.
Turkmenistan is expanding its capacity for high-tech medical care
24.07.2026Specialists at the Arkadag Multidisciplinary Hospital have, for the first time in Turkmenistan, carried out complex operations, including kidney transplants, on 13 patients, who continue to lead active lives. This was announced by the Head of the city’s Health Department, Saparmyrat Annamuhammedov, according to the news website Turkmenportal. Furthermore, total shoulder replacement operations have been carried out in Arkadag for the first time in the country. Modern treatment methods, mastered by doctors during training placements abroad, are being introduced in the city’s medical facilities. The development of high-tech surgery has been made possible due to modern equipment and cooperation with foreign specialists, including those from Germany. Turkmen doctors are undergoing training in European clinics, whilst new medical technologies are being introduced as part of joint projects and the Turkmen-German Medical Forum. Some of the operations and rehabilitation programmes for children are funded by the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation. Medical facilities in the city of Arkadag also provide both free state-funded services and fee-based medical care with concessions for participants in the voluntary insurance scheme. The multi-specialist hospital is one of seven healthcare facilities opened in Arkadag in 2023. These include centres for oncology, maternal and child health, emergency care and other institutions.
Doctors from Germany have arrived in Ashgabat to share their expertise in the field of healthcare
24.07.2026German specialists from the Maximilian Ludwig University Hospital in Munich (Germany) have arrived in Turkmenistan on a working visit. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. At the International Centre for Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Ashgabat, representatives from the two countries are exchanging professional expertise, with a particular focus on the introduction of modern digital medical technologies for disease prevention and the organisation of rehabilitation care. During the visit, doctors from Germany also organised training courses for Turkmen specialists on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.
A training course on combating echinococcosis was held in Ashgabat
21.07.2026A five-day training course on the prevention, diagnosis and control of echinococcosis was held in Ashgabat for specialists from Turkmenistan’s public health and epidemiological and veterinary services. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. The training was organised by the World Health Organisation’s country office and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations as part of a Pandemic Fund. The sessions were delivered by international FAO experts to staff from the ministries of health and agriculture. Participants studied the epidemiology of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis, practised laboratory diagnostic methods and discussed inter-ministerial cooperation. It is planned to use the knowledge gained to improve national programmes for the prevention of zoonotic diseases, employing a comprehensive approach.
Turkmenistan and Georgia discussed the development of cooperation in the field of healthcare
18.07.2026The Minister of Health of Turkmenistan, Myratberdi Gayipov, held a meeting with Mikheil Sarjveladze, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The parties discussed issues relating to healthcare and social protection, as well as prospects for further cooperation. The Georgian side presented the ministry’s current programmes and areas of work. M. Gayipov expressed his readiness to develop cooperation, whilst Sarjveladze emphasised the importance of strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
Turkmenistan is implementing a strategy of scientific and medical diplomacy
15.07.2026Turkmenistan is implementing the National Strategy for the Development of Scientific and Medical Diplomacy for 2026–2052, which was approved in March this year alongside the Action Plan for 2026–2030. The document sets out long-term priorities for the development of the healthcare system, international cooperation and the integration of the country’s medical science into the global scientific community, reports the news agency TDH. The strategy provides for strengthening the sector’s scientific and human resources capacity, introducing modern medical and digital technologies, developing scientific research, improving the system for training specialists, and expanding cooperation with international organisations. Particular attention is paid to the development of medical diplomacy, the exchange of scientific expertise, joint research and the coordination of efforts to prevent and combat infectious and non-communicable diseases. The document also provides for the provision of humanitarian aid and the development of international partnerships in the field of healthcare. The strategy will be implemented in three phases: 2026–2030, 2031–2040 and 2041–2052. It will be carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Trade Organisation and other international bodies. As part of the first phase, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, in conjunction with relevant departments, will continue to develop cooperation with the UN, the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the CIS, the Non-Aligned Movement, international financial institutions and other partners. An international conference on ‘Global Health Diplomacy’ among CIS countries is planned for 2026. In the coming years, Turkmenistan intends to organise high-level regional meetings, participate in international forums, implement joint research projects and promote the inclusion of health issues in the country’s initiatives and resolutions at the UN General Assembly. The document also provides for the improvement of the regulatory framework, the development of training materials on health diplomacy, the preparation of analytical reviews, the organisation of international professional development courses, and the continuation of training for Turkmen students and healthcare professionals abroad. To assess the effectiveness of the strategy’s implementation, monitoring indicators will be introduced in accordance with international standards. In 2030, it is planned to prepare a report on the implementation of the first phase and to draw up an action plan for the next period.
Turkmenistan is strengthening its system for providing reproductive healthcare in emergencies
04.07.2026The Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, with the support of UNFPA, has approved an updated National Action Plan on the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health in emergencies. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The document was developed on the basis of a joint response readiness assessment and replaces the 2014 version. The plan aims to ensure the continuous provision of reproductive health services, reduce the risk of HIV and other infections, and improve inter-agency coordination and the integration of these measures into the health system.
Read also
Advertising
Read us in Zen
