Turkmenistan

A national campaign devoted to World Health Day was launched in Turkmenistan on 2 April 2012. The "Week of Health and Happiness", initiated by the President of Turkmenistan, featured a long list of activities supported by ministries, organizations and businesses to promote healthy lifestyles.

Events were organized in every province of Turkmenistan, including a large-scale “Healthy Family” competition, a conference entitled “The Country of Health and Happiness – My Homeland Turkmenistan!", and sports performances and competitions at various levels (in chess, figure skating, football, cycling, handball, rhythmic gymnastics, fencing, Goresh wrestling, rowing and mountain climbing).

The week culminated on April 7 with a mass walk along the “Path of Health” and finals of the President’s Cup Hockey Tournament.

Representatives of the diplomatic missions to Turkmenistan also participated in the "Week of Health and Happiness", through a table tennis tournament, a tennis tournament held at the Ashgabat multifunctional stadium, and a volleyball match at the sports facilities of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Drawing contest for schoolchildren

Among the highlights of the week was a drawing contest devoted to the 2012 World Health Day theme “Health and Ageing”. The contest was arranged by the Health Information Centre in collaboration with the WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan, UNFPA, a joint EU/UNDP/OHCHR project and UNICEF. The twelve best artists were selected among children aged 8 to 16 from all regions of the country.

Among the winning submissions was the above drawing made by Gozel Muhammedova, a student of the 4th grade class of Dashoguz Secondary School N3.