The European Immunization Week, which runs from April 21 to 27, 2024, opens the annual celebration of the Expanded Program on Immunization – a global initiative launched in 1974 to raise awareness about the benefits of core vaccines recommended by the WHO.

As stated by Egor Zaitsev, the WHO Representative in Turkmenistan, the WHO and the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan have been working together for over three decades to strengthen the national healthcare system. The partnership within the EPI has traditionally been a central element of this cooperation. Today, with the advisory and technical support of the WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan, the country guarantees free vaccination against 14 infections under the national immunization schedule for all.

In 2016, Turkmenistan was one of the first countries to introduce vaccination against human papillomavirus, available for both girls and boys.

In 2020, the WHO and the European Union launched a joint project for Central Asian countries to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Turkmenistan. This project, initiated in response to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, subsequently supported the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in other important aspects of immunization.

The WHO collaborates with UN partner agencies and international donors, providing support and expertise to national health professionals in expanding the EPI in Turkmenistan and building a healthier society across the European Region.

The European Immunization Agenda 2030, adopted by the Member States of the WHO European Region, pays special attention to equitable access to vaccines for all, life-course vaccination and cooperation.