Turkmenistan meeting brings Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan one step closer to malaria-free status

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan hope to begin the certification process for malaria-free status at the end of 2013. This process is initiated by WHO at the request of the Member State once there have been no locally acquired malaria cases for at least three consecutive years.

In preparation for this a WHO regional training workshop on preventing the re-introduction of malaria and certification of malaria elimination was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan from 29-30 August 2013. Colleagues from Turkmenistan were invited to facilitate the training by sharing knowledge and experience of the certification of malaria elimination, having achieved malaria free status in 2010.

The workshop trained health officials to coordinate national efforts to prevent re-introduction of malaria, to make assessment of malaria elimination and to guide certification of malaria elimination and follow-up of certification.

Health officials from Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan along with representatives from WHO (WHO/Europe and headquarters) and international experts attended the two-day training course. An intercountry training course on the prevention of malaria re-introduction and certification of malaria elimination is planned for Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2014.