To support Turkmenistan's efforts in strengthening tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment the World Health Organization (WHO) CO organized WHO/Europe expert mission to Turkmenistan. The focus of the mission was to accelerate the implementation of the national electronic tuberculosis registry (TB-RRIS), which serves as a vital tool for enhancing TB surveillance in the country.

The mission led by WHO/Europe expert in TB surveillance Dr. Ana Ciobanu and WHO/Europe IT expert in electronic registry systems Mr. Andrei Cazacu, included a comprehensive technical review of the TB-RRIS to assess its performance and operational efficiency.

Moreover, a two-day training course on "Effective use of the TBRRIS information system" was held by the WHO/Europe experts at the International Scientific Center in Ashgabat. The course was designed for clinical and laboratory professionals of the Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis and its district branches and aimed at building capacity in entering data to the electronic register TB-RRIS.

The mission concluded with a meeting held at the Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis where technical challenges within the registry system was discussed. The meeting also examined the possibility of introducing the TB-RRIS electronic program in other districts of Turkmenistan.

The WHO/Europe mission highlights Turkmenistan's commitment to combat TB and contribute to strengthening public health in the WHO European region.