Today, the Yildiz Hotel hosted the International Conference of Medical Scientists "Medical Diplomacy - the Basis of a Healthy World", timed to coincide with the Day of Health Workers and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan.

The online event, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Organization for the WHO European Region, was attended by medical scientists, representatives of the health sector from around the world - WHO Regional Director for Europe H. Kluge, WHO Representative in Turkmenistan E. Zaitsev, representatives of diplomatic missions and heads of UN structural units, high-ranking officials of the health sector and representatives of the scientific intelligentsia of 15 countries, chairman of the Turkmen-German Health Forum Professor Klaus Parkhofer and others. Foreign media also took part in the conference.

During the forum, a wide range of issues related to medical diplomacy in the fight against infectious diseases, the role of digitalization in healthcare, the COVAX mechanism - in a word, everything that is crucial for ensuring public health and contributing to the sustainable development of modern medicine was discussed. Particular attention was paid to the role of international health regulations in countering the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attendees listened with deep attention to the Address of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov sent to the participants of this forum. As the leader of the nation noted in his message, today medical diplomacy, designed to promote the activation of constructive international partnership and the exchange of practical achievements in the field of medicine, is acquiring special significance as one of the priority factors in the development of modern medical science.

Turkmenistan, systematically developing interaction with the World Health Organization, as well as other specialized structures of the United Nations, has gained solid experience in building up a substantive dialogue in the field of medical diplomacy, developing effective solutions to issues in the field of human health, exchanging scientific data on the prevention of dangerous diseases and fight against them.

In his address to the forum participants, the head of Turkmenistan also noted that the development of a special program of the World Health Organization to study the genome of coronavirus will unite the efforts of scientists from many countries of the world in this direction, to find out the reasons for the emergence of new strains of this infection.

During the current forum, it was emphasized that the pandemic that gripped the whole world, requiring the consolidation of the efforts of the world community in confronting this global threat, gave special significance to medical diplomacy. Turkmenistan was one of the first to start taking comprehensive measures to prevent the penetration of COVID-19 into its territory, having managed to avoid severe quarantine, which negatively affected the economy and well-being of people in many countries of the world.

This forward-looking strategy and the creative initiatives put forward by the leader of the nation receive universal approval and support. Activities to improve the health of citizens of Turkmenistan are based primarily on the social policy of the state, legislative support, improvement of the sphere of medical services, care for the environment, on the establishment of the principles of a healthy lifestyle in the minds and everyday life of each member of our society.

The solution of these tasks primarily depends on the formation of an appropriate public opinion. Therefore, among the practical steps aimed at implementing a modern strategy for strengthening the health of the people, there is propaganda, popularization work.

Speakers, sharing their experience, noted that one of the important elements that increased the effectiveness of the fight against such a threat as COVID-19 was pooled information funds, to which everyone could access through health diplomacy. That is, as President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has repeatedly stated at many international forums, medical diplomacy is currently becoming the central element of interaction in the field of healthcare at the global and regional levels.

The forum participants emphasized that health programs are being successfully implemented in Turkmenistan in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, and many projects to protect human health have been implemented and are being successfully implemented in close cooperation with international partners.

Having developed a state policy aimed at obtaining the maximum effect from socio-economic and medical programs aimed at protecting and improving the health of the population, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov introduced a broader approach to health issues into practice.

Expressing gratitude to the head of state for large-scale activities in the field of healthcare, the guests noted that the online conference "Medical diplomacy is the basis of a healthy world" has become a good platform for the development of broad international cooperation, which contributes not only to the exchange of accumulated experience, but also to increase the authority of Turkmen medicine. propaganda of her grandiose successes and achievements.