A team of specialists from the Pasteur Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology (St. Petersburg) under the leadership of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Areg Totolyan has arrived in Turkmenistan, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper writes.
The visit was organized within the framework of a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation.
A bilateral cooperation agreement was signed on the first day of the visit to initiate a study assessing Turkmenistan’s population immunity to topical infections (measles, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, viral hepatitis). Such a study will be conducted for the first time in Turkmenistan. The Russian side will finance the project.
Population immunity, also known as herd immunity, is a form of indirect protection against infectious diseases. It arises when a significant portion of the population is immune to a disease, making it difficult for the disease to spread. Achieving high levels of population immunity, especially for vaccine-preventable diseases, is crucial for controlling outbreaks.
The study of population immunity in Turkmenistan will include the collection of laboratory materials, as well as free serological testing for topical infections: measles, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E). The methodology for conducting this seroepidemiological assessment of population immunity is based on WHO recommendations and international standards.
The results of the study will provide up-to-date information on the state of immunity of the population and will be used to predict the epidemiological situation and plan preventive measures, including improving vaccination programs.
According to Professor Totolyan, these studies are important for decision-making process and practical work of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service. Similar studies of population immunity have been conducted in Belarus, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Serbia.
The signed agreement between Turkmenistan and Russia is designed for five years and envisages cooperation in the field of personnel training, implementation of scientific projects and exchange of experience.
The national immunization program in Turkmenistan provides for vaccination against viral hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, Hib infection, human papillomavirus, pneumococcus, rotavirus infection and viral hepatitis A. Vaccines procured from the state budget are certified by the World Health Organization.