Joint statement on cross-border cooperation on malaria in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan
Ashgabat, 20 November 2009
The Tashkent Declaration: “The Move from Malaria Control to Elimination”, endorsed by Turkmenistan in 2005, and the Kabul Declaration: “Health for All, Health by All: Communicable Diseases Recognize No Borders”, endorsed by Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in 2006, particularly emphasize the risk spread between countries. The rationale for this joint statement, endorsed at the intercountry meeting between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on cross-border cooperation, held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 19–20 November 2009, is to stress the need to establish cross-border cooperation to promote and facilitate joint efforts for malaria control and elimination in Afghanistan and prevention of the reintroduction of malaria transmission in Turkmenistan.
We, the joint signatories of this statement:
- remain fully committed to the principles expressed in the Tashkent and Kabul declarations on issues related to malaria control and elimination and cross-border cooperation;
- agree to take all necessary steps to solve common malaria-related issues in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, with particular emphasis on border areas, since cross-border cooperation on malaria remains a priority public health issue for both countries;
- call upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue to take the lead in the strategic coordination and technical guidance of malaria control and elimination programmes in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, taking into account the positive experience accumulated over the past years;
- call upon WHO, donors and other partners to continue supporting the ministries of health of the two countries in their efforts towards implementing the national anti-malaria programmes with the stated goals;
- underline the need to streamline the approaches and improve coordination mechanisms for malaria control and elimination by all parties concerned (governmental bodies, international agencies, nongovernmental and community-based organizations and the private sector) at both intercountry and country levels.
We recommend that:
- an intercountry working group be established, composed of national counterparts representing all levels and local WHO staff, in order to assist in planning, implementing and evaluating malaria control and elimination activities in border areas of both countries;
- focal points be identified for each country to assist in the coordination of cross-border issues related to malaria control and elimination;
- operational modalities be established for regular and timely exchange of information on malaria, particularly in border areas;
- joint action plans be developed to synchronize and harmonize malaria control and elimination activities in border areas;
- early notification be given of any unusual situations related to malaria in border areas of the two countries;
- action be taken to create greater awareness of the successes of malaria control and elimination programmes and to coordinate the mobilization of additional resources to support the countries’ malaria control and elimination efforts;
- the possibility of rendering assistance by Turkmenistan to Afghanistan in strengthening human resource capacities and improving epidemiological services and research capabilities for malaria control and elimination in border areas, be explored, in collaboration with WHO;
- in collaboration with WHO, an interregional meeting to follow up on progress made with the Kabul Declaration “Health for All. Health by All: Communicable Diseases Recognize No Borders” endorsed by a number of countries of the WHO European and Eastern Mediterranean regions, and the Tashkent Declaration: “The Move from Malaria Control to Elimination” endorsed by all malaria-affected countries of the WHO European Region, be organized in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2010.
Ministry of Health, Turkmenistan
WHO Country Office, Turkmenistan
Ministry of Health, Afghanistan
World Health Organization, Afghanistan
