On-site practical laboratory training in influenza virology in Turkmenistan

13–23 December 2016, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

A 10-day practical training course for virologists from the National Influenza Laboratory in Ashgabat at the Center of Public Health and Nutrition, Turkmenistan will take place on 13–23 December 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

The course is being organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Turkmenistan together with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and National Influenza Centre (NIC) in St Petersburg at the Research Institute of Influenza of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

The main goal of the training is to strengthen virological surveillance of influenza by enhancing the capabilities of staff from the National Influenza Laboratory to perform influenza virus isolation in cell cultures, and to identify the haemagglutinin subtype of viral isolates by haemagglutination inhibition testing.

The training is part of an annual WHO programme on training of influenza virologists under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Partnership Contribution Implementation Plan 2013–2016.