A delegation from the H. Turner National Medical Research Centre for Paediatric Traumatology and Orthopaedics (St. Petersburg) visited Ashgabat to strengthen cooperation with the Turkmenistan healthcare system. This was reported by the online news resource TerraNews. During the visit, a Roadmap for 2026 was agreed upon for the introduction of Russian technologies in paediatric orthopaedics. The director of the National Medical Research Centre, Sergey Vissarionov, met with the Minister of Health of Turkmenistan, Myrat Mammedov, and the Head of the Scientific and Clinical Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Altymuhammet Annayev. Turkmen specialists will undergo training in Russia, and Russian doctors will hold a seminar in Ashgabat with demonstrations of operations on complex spinal deformities. A Memorandum of Cooperation is being agreed upon by the Turkmen Ministry of Health. Russian specialists also examined patients and recommended high-tech treatment for several children. The partnership is aimed at training personnel and introducing modern standards in paediatric orthopaedics.
The WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan conducted a technical mission to strengthen surveillance of influenza and acute respiratory infections (ARI). This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The mission included WHO Regional Office for Europe respiratory virus surveillance technical specialist James Edward Fielding and WHO experts Kirill Stolyarov and Daria Danilenko. As part of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Partnership Contribution, the experts provided advice and technical support to national partners, assessed the implementation of the updated surveillance protocol, including epidemiological and virological monitoring, as well as data collection and analysis systems. During the visit, a workshop was held on building national capacity in influenza and ARI surveillance, data management and virological surveillance. Members of the mission also participated in a scientific conference dedicated to Medical Workers' Day. The experts visited key health facilities in Ashgabat, including health centres, infection prevention centres, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service and the Virology Reference Laboratory, where they assessed laboratory surveillance and the operational capacity of the surveillance system. Following the mission, the results were discussed, recommendations were made, and further steps were identified to strengthen the integrated influenza and ARI surveillance system in Turkmenistan.
A scientific and practical conference entitled ‘The State Health Programme: Achievements and Important Tasks in the Renaissance Era of a New Epoch of a Sovereign State’ was held at the Arkadag Multidisciplinary Hospital to mark Health and Medical Industry Workers' Day. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The event was attended by medical professionals from the country, as well as specialists from Germany and Turkey. Foreign doctors noted the high level of development of the Turkmen healthcare system, which meets WHO standards, and its successes in disease prevention. Professor Hendrik Bergert, a surgeon at the University Hospital of Erfurt (Germany), presented a report on modern approaches to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and the development of cardiac surgery.
In Ashgabat, as part of the international scientific conference and exhibition ‘Healthcare, Education and Sports in the Renaissance Era of a New Epoch of a Powerful State,’ the presentation of the 17th volume of the book ‘Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan’ and the publication ‘Achievements in public health services system’ was held, authored by Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. This was reported by the state news agency TDH. The event was attended by Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, relevant departments, state and public organisations, the media, as well as students. The new, seventeenth volume of Hero Arkadag's scientific encyclopaedia continues the series of works that introduce readers to the rich natural resources and medicinal plants of Turkmenistan used in medical practice. The publication traditionally consists of two sections – ‘Characteristic of herbs’ and ‘Instructions on application’ – and includes detailed information on 107 species of plants with high medicinal properties. The publication examines in detail the properties of medicinal herbs and fruits, including rare endemic species, and describes methods for their collection, storage and preparation of medicinal infusions. A special place is given to a systematic dictionary of plant names, which makes the work an indispensable source of knowledge for specialists and researchers. The new volume of Hero Arkadag's book reflects the continuity of the experience of Eastern medicine and Turkmen folk phytotherapy, carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation.
On 10 October, the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF signed a new Agreement on the procurement of vaccines and immunisation supplies for 2026–2028, confirming their long-standing cooperation in protecting children from preventable diseases. This was reported by IIC. The ceremony took place at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry on National Healthcare Workers' Day, highlighting the contribution of medical professionals to protecting public health. UNICEF representative in Turkmenistan Jalpa Ratna noted that the new Agreement reflects the long-term partnership and Turkmenistan's commitment to developing a sustainable healthcare system. In 2025, an updated vaccination schedule was approved, including a six-valent vaccine. The annual procurement volume exceeds US$17 million, making Turkmenistan an example of sustainable financing for immunisation in the region. The Agreement was signed in the year of the 30th anniversary of permanent neutrality and the International Year of Peace and Trust, symbolising the country's commitment to international cooperation. UNICEF and the Government of Turkmenistan will continue their joint efforts to strengthen children's health and ensure a sustainable future.
A WHO mission visited Turkmenistan to provide methodological and practical support to tuberculosis specialists. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The mission was led by Dr. Vladimir Antonenko from the Institute of Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine (Gauting, Germany) and the WHO Supranational Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis. The visit was part of the Global Fund's 2025-2027 tuberculosis project and aimed to strengthen the capacity of Turkmenistan's National Reference Laboratory. The mission highlights Turkmenistan's commitment to combating tuberculosis through the development of laboratory diagnostics and international cooperation, which is an important step towards the global goal of eliminating the disease.
A delegation of German doctors from leading clinical centres visited the city of Arkadag. This was reported by the Orient news agency. The German specialists exchanged experiences with their Turkmen colleagues as part of the ‘Saglyk’ State Programme, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The partnership between Turkmenistan and Germany in the field of medicine has been ongoing since 1998: more than 200 German professors have taken part in seminars and the implementation of innovative methods. At the same time, projects for the production of domestic medical goods are being developed. The ‘Arkadag Medisina Klasteri Menejment’ enterprise produces sterile syringes, disposable masks, gowns and baby food, fully supplying local medical institutions with these products. Special attention is paid to children: the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship supports those in need by providing rehabilitation in children's centres. The international medical dialogue will continue at a forum in Ashgabat on 10–12 October, where congresses of cardiologists, physiologists and oncologists from Turkic-speaking and Eurasian countries will be held.
A training session for Turkmen doctors was held at the International Health and Rehabilitation Centre in Ashgabat with the participation of specialists from Germany, Elvira Weber and Steven Reinboldt, according to the online news resource TerraNews. The experts are conducting long-term classes on modern physiotherapy and rehabilitation techniques, including PNF, manual therapy and the Bobath method, with a special focus on paediatric rehabilitation and individual programmes for the development of motor, sensory and cognitive functions. The centre is equipped with modern equipment from the United States, Germany and Italy, including the ZeroG robotic system, the 3D Float suspension system and the Hunova trainer. According to Elvira Weber, Turkmen doctors are quickly mastering the methods and will be able to train their colleagues independently in the future, while cooperation with foreign experts is raising the level of medical care in the country.
A delegation from Turkmenistan, represented by the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, took part in the fifth Forum of the Regional Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The event took place from 30 September to 2 October in Skopje (North Macedonia), according to IIC Turkmenistan. The forum, held with the support of UNFPA, became a platform for sharing experiences and strengthening national strategies in the field of disease prevention. The visit of the Turkmen delegation was organised with the assistance of the UNFPA Representative Office in Turkmenistan and was aimed at studying best practices and modern approaches in the fight against cervical cancer. The participation of specialists made it possible to establish professional contacts, improve qualifications and expand opportunities for improving national programmes.
Baby food produced by ‘Arkadag Medisina Klasteri Menejment’ won the gold medal for Product of the Year and a corresponding diploma at an international exhibition in Moscow in September. This was reported by the news website Asmannews. This good news was communicated to the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during his trip to the city of Arkadag. The award confirms the environmental purity and high quality of products manufactured in the new ‘smart’ city. The cluster's achievements also testify to the effectiveness of state policy in the field of intellectual property and support for high-tech industries.
From 10 to 12 October, Ashgabat will host an international forum dedicated to healthcare, education and sports. This was reported by the news website Asmannews. The event will include the 11th Congress of Cardiologists of Turkic-speaking States, the International Congress of Physiologists of Central Asia, and the International Conference of Oncologists of Eurasian Countries. Representatives of foreign and local companies, scientists, doctors and sports specialists are expected to attend.
Turkmenistan and Belarus continue to actively cooperate in healthcare, especially in training Turkmen specialists in anaesthesiology and neonatal resuscitation. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. Belarusian experts regularly conduct practical training sessions at the Perinatal Centre of Turkmenistan, preparing local doctors to become future trainers. Turkmen specialists note that cooperation is based not only on knowledge, but also on trust and respect. The next visit of the Belarusian delegation to Turkmenistan is scheduled for November 2025. Earlier, from 23 to 27 September, an international forum was held in Minsk with the participation of UNICEF and representatives of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, where disease prevention, nutrition and epidemiological safety were discussed.