Turkmenistan was ranked 119th out of 195 in the epidemic preparedness rating compiled by the American non-profit organization Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Johns Hopkins University Health Safety Center and the Economist think tank, Turkmen news reported .
Among the countries of Central Asia, this is the penultimate place. Kazakhstan is on the 55th place, Kyrgyzstan - on the 68th, Uzbekistan - on the 82nd, Tajikistan is below Turkmenistan - on the 140th place. Russia is located at 47th.
When compiling the ranking, countries were awarded points in six categories. In the first category, Prevent, which took into account the quality of the fight against microorganisms and the level of vaccination, Turkmenistan scored 22.1 points.
In the second, Detect, the country received 27.6 points. In the third category - "Reaction" (Respond), which took into account preparedness for emergencies, the level of training of health authorities, the quality of anti-crisis communication, 21.8 points.
In the fourth, "Health", which considered the quality of hospital work, the number of doctors and nurses, the possibility of applying quarantine measures, 30.6 points,
In the fifth, "Legislation" (Norms), which examines the quality of thematic laws, participation in international agreements, on financing the fight against epidemics, 38 points.
In the sixth, "Risk", which took into account political, social, economic, infrastructural and other risks that complicate the fight against infections, 51.1 points.
The average score of Turkmenistan was 31.9 out of 100. Compared to the previous rating, which was compiled even before the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, in 2019, the country lost 1.4 points.
The document also notes that many countries remain dangerously unprepared to deal with future pandemic threats. Moreover, most countries, including high-income countries, have not invested earmarked funds to improve pandemic preparedness.
“In most countries, there has been little improvement in maintaining a reliable, efficient and accessible health care system for outbreak detection and response. Political and security risks have increased in almost all countries, and countries with the least resources have the highest risk. Countries continue to ignore the pandemic preparedness needs of vulnerable populations, exacerbating the impact of health security emergencies, ”the text says.
In terms of recommendations, countries should allocate funds for public health and develop a national risk identification plan.
The private sector should use this rating to find opportunities to work with governments, and charities and funders should develop new funding mechanisms and use the rating to prioritize resources.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan