O. Guidzheva Director of Information Center of Healthcare of MHMI

The concept of main directions of the policy of the President of Turkmenistan on people’s health protection is presented in the governmental program “Health” proclaimed On July 21, 1995, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan established contacts with many international organizations

Pursuant to the Law of Turkmenistan “On Citizens’ Healthcare”, the Government of Turkmenistan protects and stimulates maternity and childhood. This program was based on the current healthcare programs such as “Prevention and suppression of anaemia”, “Protection and support of breast feeding”, “Service of RH protection”, “Integration of management of childhood diseases”, “Immunoprophylaxis”, “Proof Maternity”, “Fight against acute intestinal disease”, “Fight against acute respiratory disease”, “Prevention of HIV/AIDS”, thus, National Strategy covers all the areas of RH

Today Turkmenistan achieved defined success in implementation of goals stated by the Program “Health”. Award of 3 international certificates to Turkmenistan as following: “Country free of infantile paralysis”, “Country free of dracunculiasis”, “Country with universal salt iodization” confirms this fact.

Indicators of success of program “Health” are also such facts as: Reduction of infant mortality by three and half times Reduction of maternal mortality by three times Thus, the purpose of Millennium Declaration is to reduce mortality of children to 5 years by two third till 2015 is reached in advance.

Service of reproductive health protection, established in Turkmenistan, provides the family, separate persons freely could take responsible decision on quantity of their children, observation of optimal intervals between their birth. At the same time, it does not pursue the objective to reduce birth rate and limit the number of children in the family. Taking into account national interests, it is oriented to prevent pregnancy of women of high risk group to protect their lives and achieve optimal interval between successive births. The country produced rationalization of primary healthcare institutions which are obliged along with other medical and social tasks to protect health and reproduction function of women, reduce sickness rate, maternal and children’s mortality.

Healthy life-style promotion was adjusted in Turkmenistan. In connection with this fact “The Law on AIDS Prevention” dated 1991 was revised. New Law “On prevention of diseases caused by human immunodeficient virus (HIV)” was adopted in National Program of prevention of AIDS/STD was accepted for in Turkmenistan on September 9, 1999.

New National Program of prevention of AIDS/STD was accepted for in Turkmenistan on April 27, Main purposes of the Program are: To define national policy relatively HIV/AIDS/STD; To prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS/STD through blood; To prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS/STD through sexual contacts; To prevent pre- and perinatal transmission of HIV/STD through sexual contacts; Provision of all types of assistance and support for HIV positive, AIDS positive persons and members of their families

Interdepartmental Coordination Committee was established to implement stated tasks and its statute was adopted.

Multisectoral approach and integration of all interested ministries, departments, public and international organizations is provided to fulfill National Program. In a whole, prevention of HIV/AIDS/STD is coordinated at governmental level. Fight against malaria as well as against AIDS, tuberculosis is coordinated on international level and entered to Millennium Goal Declaration.

When Kabul and Tashkent Declarations “Infectious Diseases Have No Limits” and “From Fight To Elimination of Malaria” were declared, the government of Turkmenistan supported the Strategic plan of European Region WHO “Transition From Fight To Elimination of Malaria by 2015”. Malaria sickness rate is reduced to such level in the country, that in case of further strengthening and development of anti- malaria measures, interruption of its transition becomes rather real.

Taking into account potential of the country, World Health Organization recognized Turkmenistan as priority country, which can eliminate malaria by 2010.

One of the important tasks of national healthcare is population immunization, which is the most efficient system in reduction of sick rate of many infectious diseases. National Program for Immunoprophylaxis for the period was ratified in 2003.

The goals of National Program include liquidation, reduction of sick rate and mortality level caused by the raw of infections, managed by immunoprophylaxis means: support of status of the country, free of infantile paralysis, elimination of measles by 2010, exclusion of breakouts and fatal cases caused by diphtheria by 2005, reduction of sick rate of diphtheria, pertussis, parotitis, hippy hepatitis, exclusion of severe forms of tuberculosis of first-year children, control of the sick rate of rubeola and prevention of congenital rubeola syndrome by 2005

National Program for Prevention and Fight against Tuberculosis was adopted in Turkmenistan in Goals of NPT are: to reduce the sick rate, prevalence rate, mortality from, tuberculosis, prevention of spread of stable forms of tuberculosis.

Introduction of DOTS strategy was started in the country in Today DOTS strategy is introduced in absolutely all the regions of the country. DOTS Program is also introduced in MLS

In the result of planned implementation of NPT and DOTS Program implementation, the sick rate reduced after program deployment by 16%, prevalence rate by 26% and mortality rate by 48%

The use of indicators on goals and tasks of millennium: Tasks 5 and 6 of goals 4 and 5 are covered fully by the indicators provided in the Millennium Program. In goal 6 of tasks 7 and 8 from 7 indicators 3 indicators are provided by report forms as following: - the sick rate of malaria and mortality level from it; - the sick rate of tuberculosis and mortality level from it; - number of tuberculosis cases, diagnosis and treatment of which was produced during short treatment course under direct observation of the physician. The rest indicators not provided by report forms are applied for medical and demographical surveys. The last survey was conducted in 2000.