From 1 to 3 December, the PanPRET tabletop simulation exercise and the final meeting to finalise the draft National Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan (NPPRP) were held at the UN Office in Ashgabat. This was reported by the news website Asmannews.

The event was organised by the WHO European Office and relevant agencies in Turkmenistan. Representatives from health, veterinary and other departments involved in emergency management participated in the exercises.

The training was conducted by international WHO experts, including Christine Blackmore. The State Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan was represented by Arslan Soltanmyradov, Head of the Department of International and Scientific Relations, who emphasised the importance of such exercises for strengthening coordination and national biosafety mechanisms.

The programme was based on the PRET model developed by the WHO to increase resilience to new biological threats and focused on cross-sectoral cooperation, effective information exchange and community involvement.