The European Regional Meeting opened in the Turkmen capital with participation of the staff of the WHO Headquarters and the WHO European Regional Office, UN agencies, international experts and representatives of 36 European countries, representing state and public organizations, as well as the Turkmen specialists from various ministries and agencies involved in the implementation of tobacco control programs.
The participants of the meeting stated that holding such meetings in Turkmenistan has become a tradition. This is due, above all, the country's leading position in tobacco control. The country takes active steps in this area, and shows political will in fulfillment of obligations to reduce the consumption of tobacco products, and tobacco control. As emphasized the WHO representative, Turkmenistan has not only signed the WHO Framework Convention, but also created its own legal framework to combat this phenomenon.
In 2012 with technical support of the WHO Regional Office, Turkmenistan adopted, through a Presidential Order, the National Action Plan on Tobacco Control 2012-2016. According to the Order the Intersectoral coordination committees for implementation of the National Action Plan on Tobacco Control was established comprising representatives of 18 ministries, departments and public organizations of Turkmenistan. The structure of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry was created nine "Trust" centers to help those who have decided to get rid of tobacco dependency. It actively works the telephone service "hot line" for anonymous counseling, and a Specialized Rehabilitation Center. In December 2013 Turkmenistan adopted the law "On protection of citizens’ health from exposure of tobacco smoke and the consequences of tobacco product consumption." It defines the principles of state policy in the field of tobacco products in Turkmenistan.
Moreover, as of 1st of April 2016 it was introduced additional documentary stamps on tobacco products and as of 1st of July 2016 it is prohibited the sale of tobacco products without documentary stamps. Since 2011, it is introduced new standards for tobacco products’ packaging and labeling, since 2015 it is introduced graphic images on cigarette packs (image icons), illustrating the health hazard. The ban on any direct tobacco advertising and sponsorship by tobacco manufacturers came into force in 2011. Since 2016 it banned entire plugolas.
In 2015, Turkmenistan was among the first countries in the world ratified the Protocol on elimination of illicit trade of tobacco products, which is the first protocol of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). In addition to legislative measures, Turkmenistan pays great attention to activities on prevention, public awareness and health education.
- As is known, on the personal initiative of the President of Turkmenistan with support of Ministry of Health and Medical Industry in 2013 it was held WHO European Ministerial Conference on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, such as chronic cardiovascular and oncological diseases, diabetes, smoking and obesity, - noted in the speech Gauden Galea, Director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion of WHO Regional Office for Europe.
- According to the results of the European Ministerial Conference in 2013 it was adopted the Ashgabat Declaration, one of the main points of which is to make Europe free from tobacco. Health ministers of the states of the WHO European Region have agreed to coordinate joint efforts to protect present and future generations from the consequences of destructive addictions. Therefore, firstly, it was reviewed the achievements of the Ashgabat Declaration. Thus, to evaluate the achieved results we consider from the position of the WHO Framework Convention.
I would especially like to note the achievements of Turkmenistan in tobacco control, I am sure that Turkmenistan will become an example for the entire European region and, drawing on the experience of your country, we will make our region free from tobacco.
The leadership of Turkmenistan in tobacco control also noted other participants of the meeting. The WHO EU Regional Office expert, Dmitry Yanin underlined that in the past three years, the international community considers Turkmenistan as a country which realized almost all measures taken to reduce tobacco consumption. Turkmenistan is one of the 20 countries in the world that have banned cigarette laying open on the stores’ shelves, one of the highest prices for cigarettes, and one of the lowest smoking rates in the world - 8.3 percent of the population.
Turkmenistan plays significantly important role in the global and regional levels in the fight against smoking, - says another participant of the meeting - Eduardo D.Espayne, WHO Headquarter’s expert. - I am sure that the goal set by Turkmenistan to achieve by 2025 the status of a country free of tobacco, will be successfully implemented.
The World Health Organization welcomes the desire of Turkmenistan to become the first country in which the prevalence of smoking among the adult population is less than 5%, and hopes that Turkmenistan will become the driving force of the process to achieve the status of the European Region, tobacco-free. To this end, it was developed project plan on “the Ashgabat Declaration: towards a tobacco-free European Region” by WHO Regional Office, funded by the Government of Turkmenistan. To realize this project it was allocated over 3 million dollars.
In the framework of the European Regional Meeting is will reviewed the results of the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Ashgabat Declaration in other countries. In particular, the relationship with the tobacco industry, trends and progress in reducing tobacco consumption in the European Region, and new approaches to tobacco control.
The second day of the regional meeting, the participants will start mountaineering on the health track, laid in the picturesque foothills of the Kopetdag, and then the meeting will continue its work at the hotel "Yiydyz". In accordance with agenda of the second day of the meeting, the Protocol on elimination of illicit trade of tobacco products will be reviewed.
The participants of the meeting stated that holding such meetings in Turkmenistan has become a tradition. This is due, above all, the country's leading position in tobacco control. The country takes active steps in this area, and shows political will in fulfillment of obligations to reduce the consumption of tobacco products, and tobacco control. As emphasized the WHO representative, Turkmenistan has not only signed the WHO Framework Convention, but also created its own legal framework to combat this phenomenon.
In 2012 with technical support of the WHO Regional Office, Turkmenistan adopted, through a Presidential Order, the National Action Plan on Tobacco Control 2012-2016. According to the Order the Intersectoral coordination committees for implementation of the National Action Plan on Tobacco Control was established comprising representatives of 18 ministries, departments and public organizations of Turkmenistan. The structure of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry was created nine "Trust" centers to help those who have decided to get rid of tobacco dependency. It actively works the telephone service "hot line" for anonymous counseling, and a Specialized Rehabilitation Center. In December 2013 Turkmenistan adopted the law "On protection of citizens’ health from exposure of tobacco smoke and the consequences of tobacco product consumption." It defines the principles of state policy in the field of tobacco products in Turkmenistan.
Moreover, as of 1st of April 2016 it was introduced additional documentary stamps on tobacco products and as of 1st of July 2016 it is prohibited the sale of tobacco products without documentary stamps. Since 2011, it is introduced new standards for tobacco products’ packaging and labeling, since 2015 it is introduced graphic images on cigarette packs (image icons), illustrating the health hazard. The ban on any direct tobacco advertising and sponsorship by tobacco manufacturers came into force in 2011. Since 2016 it banned entire plugolas.
In 2015, Turkmenistan was among the first countries in the world ratified the Protocol on elimination of illicit trade of tobacco products, which is the first protocol of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). In addition to legislative measures, Turkmenistan pays great attention to activities on prevention, public awareness and health education.
- As is known, on the personal initiative of the President of Turkmenistan with support of Ministry of Health and Medical Industry in 2013 it was held WHO European Ministerial Conference on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, such as chronic cardiovascular and oncological diseases, diabetes, smoking and obesity, - noted in the speech Gauden Galea, Director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion of WHO Regional Office for Europe.
- According to the results of the European Ministerial Conference in 2013 it was adopted the Ashgabat Declaration, one of the main points of which is to make Europe free from tobacco. Health ministers of the states of the WHO European Region have agreed to coordinate joint efforts to protect present and future generations from the consequences of destructive addictions. Therefore, firstly, it was reviewed the achievements of the Ashgabat Declaration. Thus, to evaluate the achieved results we consider from the position of the WHO Framework Convention.
I would especially like to note the achievements of Turkmenistan in tobacco control, I am sure that Turkmenistan will become an example for the entire European region and, drawing on the experience of your country, we will make our region free from tobacco.
The leadership of Turkmenistan in tobacco control also noted other participants of the meeting. The WHO EU Regional Office expert, Dmitry Yanin underlined that in the past three years, the international community considers Turkmenistan as a country which realized almost all measures taken to reduce tobacco consumption. Turkmenistan is one of the 20 countries in the world that have banned cigarette laying open on the stores’ shelves, one of the highest prices for cigarettes, and one of the lowest smoking rates in the world - 8.3 percent of the population.
Turkmenistan plays significantly important role in the global and regional levels in the fight against smoking, - says another participant of the meeting - Eduardo D.Espayne, WHO Headquarter’s expert. - I am sure that the goal set by Turkmenistan to achieve by 2025 the status of a country free of tobacco, will be successfully implemented.
The World Health Organization welcomes the desire of Turkmenistan to become the first country in which the prevalence of smoking among the adult population is less than 5%, and hopes that Turkmenistan will become the driving force of the process to achieve the status of the European Region, tobacco-free. To this end, it was developed project plan on “the Ashgabat Declaration: towards a tobacco-free European Region” by WHO Regional Office, funded by the Government of Turkmenistan. To realize this project it was allocated over 3 million dollars.
In the framework of the European Regional Meeting is will reviewed the results of the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Ashgabat Declaration in other countries. In particular, the relationship with the tobacco industry, trends and progress in reducing tobacco consumption in the European Region, and new approaches to tobacco control.
The second day of the regional meeting, the participants will start mountaineering on the health track, laid in the picturesque foothills of the Kopetdag, and then the meeting will continue its work at the hotel "Yiydyz". In accordance with agenda of the second day of the meeting, the Protocol on elimination of illicit trade of tobacco products will be reviewed.
