From 17 to 18 November, a technical advisory mission from the WHO Regional Office for Europe visited Turkmenistan. Its aim is to support national efforts in the field of environmental and health protection within the framework of the ‘One Health’ approach, according to Turkmenportal.

The delegation was led by Sinaia Netanyahu, Programme Manager for Environmental and Health Impact Assessment at the WHO European Centre.

During the visit, a national seminar was held on the implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach. Representatives of relevant ministries, departments, the Myrat Garryev State Medical University, the S. A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University and the Academy of Sciences took part in the seminar.

The integration of environmental aspects into national ‘One Health’ initiatives within the framework of the multi-country Pandemic Fund project was discussed. Participants focused on health, environmental and agricultural challenges, as well as the need for cross-sectoral coordination in surveillance, risk assessment and response to disease outbreaks.

In addition, experts considered the alignment of the environmental component of the ‘One Health’ approach with the Joint Environmental Action Plan, the WHO Roadmap for Central Asia, the Budapest Declaration and global biodiversity documents, including the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health. Special attention was paid to the effective use of the Pandemic Fund's resources.