WHO/Europe and PAS Center recently conducted a mission to Turkmenistan with the aim of providing support and advice to the Ministry of Health on health system strengthening in particular on effective engagement of the governments and other national partners in reforming the health systems for strengthening TB and DR-TB control (TB-REP).
The scope of mission included:
The mission held meetings with Minister of Health, Deputy Ministers of Health and leaders, experts from key national public health institutions and organizations, and included a visit to the TB Centre and Center of Infectious Diseases in Ashgabat.
Director of Health System and Public Health Division, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, underscored that there is currently momentum to expand the process on implementation ambulatory care and move forward with strengthening of patient-centered care in particular. WHO/Europe and TB-REP project partners will be providing support and advice on a continuous basis. In addition to identifying key developments and achievements, the mission also pinpointed remaining challenges to the reform of the TB services in the country.
Dr Nurmuhammet Amannepesov, Minister of Health, of Turkmenistan, welcomed the initiative of WHO/Europe, emphasizing the importance of health system strengthening on TB prevention and care in the country. The director of PAS Center Dr. Viorel Soltan highlighted the joint work carried out to improve the ambulatory hospital care on TB, which incorporated both the experience of other countries and recommendations for implementation.