Turkmenistan continues to strengthen its national system for public health emergency preparedness and response at points of entry, according to the WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan.

A meeting dedicated to this issue was held at the UN building in Ashgabat, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and the WHO Country Office. Officials from the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, the Ministries of Defense, Agriculture, and Environmental Protection, as well as the State Customs, Migration, and Border Services, participated in the event.

According to the report, participants discussed and refined the draft National Action Plan for Public Health Emergencies at Points of Entry and reviewed the progress of strengthening relevant national mechanisms. Special attention was devoted to developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for coordinated border responses.

The meeting aimed to provide advisory and technical support to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan to enhance capacity at points of entry in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR).

Global and regional WHO experts also participated. Sara Barragan, representing WHO Headquarters, outlined key IHR provisions related to points of entry, while staff from the WHO Regional Office for Europe presented the WHO Pandemic Agreement, shared European operational practices at points of entry, and offered a package of resources for simulation exercises.

WHO emphasized that strengthening capacities at points of entry remains a critical component of national emergency preparedness and reaffirmed its commitment to providing continued technical support to Turkmenistan within the framework of IHR implementation.