The Center for Public Health and the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service under the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan organized in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) the seminar on "Monitoring and supervision of the fortification of flour by FORTIMAS method». The event was attended by specialists of sanitary-epidemiological service of the capital city and regions, medical institutions, Turkmen State Medical University, as well as Ministries of Agriculture and Water Economy, Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan. UNICEF consultant Dr. Ibrahim Parvanta has arrived to Ashgabat specifically to participate in the seminar.

As noted by the participants, Turkmenistan has a long experience of flour fortification and is recognized as one of the leading countries in Central Asia for its fortification. Flour fortification, as well as salt iodization, funded by the Government of Turkmenistan. UNICEF is providing technical support in the purchasing of high-quality premix.

In the framework of "National programme on healthy nutrition of the population of Turkmenistan for 2013-2017” by all involved ministries and departments held a multifaceted work aimed at the prevention of diseases, increasing life expectancy and the approval of a healthy lifestyle.

In order to prevent disease and promote health of the population, all produced wheat flour of the superior quality and first sort of flour in Turkmenistan is enriched premix, which includes iron and folic acid.

During the workshop, national experts were familiarized with international experience of monitoring the quality of fortified flour.