The Turkmengallonumleri Association and Turkmenistan’s long-term partner UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are to conclude the Memorandum of Understanding and Co-Operation.

The decision supported by the recent Order of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov was taken to enrich best quality and first-rate flour produced in Turkmenistan at the flour milling plants of all patterns of ownership with the nutrients – folic acid and iron. The agreement to purchase of 35,000 kilograms of Premix nutrition and the special equipment – 15 dozers amounted to over $ 192,000 will be concluded with UNICEF.

According to the State Sanitary and Epidemiology Service of the Ministry of Health and Medial Industry of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen leader’s initiative was an important step towards implementation of the national policy prioritizing the welfare and health of the Turkmen people.

Turkmenistan undertook the commitments to purchase the food additives at its own expenses – micronutrients delivered before as a humanitarian aid and to ensure the 100-percent fortification of flour produced in the country.

As is known, the Resolution of President Saparmurat Niyazov “On Iodination of Salt and Enrichment Flour with Iron” of May 1996 initiated the food enrichment policy in Turkmenistan. The coordination commission was established to ensure production of iodized salt and iron-enriched flour in the country. Over these years the Turkmengallaonumleri Association carried out the consistent work and at the end of 2000 started to produce enriched flour with technical assistance of the UN Children’s Fund. On January 1, 2007 the flour milling plants throughout the country started to produce wheat flour enriched with folic acid and iron. In compliance with the international requirements Turkmenistan adopted the new enrichment standard and took the measures to improve quality control management.

Enrichment of flour is an aspect of the joint programmes implemented by the Government of Turkmenistan in collaboration with UNICEF that is an effective instrument of promotion of health, prevention of the diseases caused by the deficiency of folic acid and iron, birth defects and iron-deficiency anemia.

Enrichment of flour is a key component of the Anemia Prevention and Control Programme successfully implemented in Turkmenistan since 1996. The medical and demographic research conducted by the specialists of the Maternity and Child Care Research and Clinic Centre with assistance of the UN Children’s Fund and other large international organisations showed that the measures taken resulted in significantly reducing the number of the cases of severe anemia among women of reproductive age and under-5 children.

The Memorandum of Understanding and Co-Operation to be concluded with UNICEF will start a new stage of co-operation with the UN agency, whose mission to ensure happy and safe life for the most vulnerable groups of a society – women and children.

Through UNICEF’s active assistance Turkmenistan occupies the leading position in the Central Asian region ensuring the high vaccine coverage of the population. The joint activity to ensure food enrichment in Turkmenistan is of particular importance. In November 2004 Turkmenistan was the first country in the CIS and in the world to be internationally recognized as the country ensuring the 100-perecent iodination of salt in accordance with the international standards. In the nearest future our country may receive the certificate on enrichment of flour.

Thus, advancing along the chosen way Turkmenistan demonstrates the responsible approach to guaranteeing the worthy living conditions to its citizens, whose welfare remains an important factor of sustainable national development, the basis of the wellbeing of the nation.