UNFPA Turkmenistan ran an informational campaign on its Instagram account dedicated to the International Day of Families between May 15-17, 2023. It is good that UNFPA Turkmenistan is working to challenge societal norms and to foster a culture of equality, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. These are constructive efforts that can contribute to the development of a more inclusive society in Turkmenistan.

At Saglyk, we have been developing content on family planning, sexual and reproductive health for the past 13 years. We would like to offer suggestions to UNFPA to help shape future public informational campaigns.

Saglyk wrote in advance of the session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) and its review of Turkmenistan’s 6th state party report (SPR) and compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Full report: CEDAW Progres Turkmenistan

What does the public in Turkmenistan think about the status of women and girls?

PRESS RELEASE
March 8, 2023

Women and girls in Turkmenistan are not safe online and their chances of encountering hateful content have been increasing over the last two years. The Saglyk program of Progres Foundation unveiled today the findings from the first-ever social media listening project. Social media has been used as a source of data for the research because it provides the public with a forum to express their opinions, an almost non-existent feature in offline Turkmenistan.

The sample survey "Health and Status of a Woman in the Family in Turkmenistan" (Turkmenportal, UNFPA) is the first national experience in collecting data and analyzing the problem of domestic violence against women based on interviews with women aged 18-59 in all regions of the country (the capital and five velayats). The total sample size is 3596 households.

The survey was carried out with the technical support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with funding from the Government of Turkmenistan and support from the international organizations (UNFPA, the European Union and the British Embassy in Turkmenistan). The full report is available in English and Russian and a snapshot of key findings and recommendations is published in Turkmen, English and Russian.

Dear Mrs. Berdimuhamedova,

We extend our congratulations to you on becoming the First Lady of Turkmenistan. As you may know, the First Ladies in many countries play an important role in promoting various causes that matter to the public. We believe that you, in the position of the First Lady, have influence, a leadership role, and a unique platform to improve people’s lives in Turkmenistan.

The government of Turkmenistan and UNFPA conduct an investment case study on unmet need for family planning.

The Government of Turkmenistan together with UNFPA conducted an investment case to determine the cost of ending an unmet need for family planning by 2030. The study was made public by UNFPA on July 9, 2021.

The unmet need for family planning is defined as the percentage of women of reproductive age, who are sexually active and not using any method of contraception (for a certain reason: economic, health, family, religion, lack of knowledge), but who want to stop or delay childbearing.

Saglyk’s overview of the new report and recommendations to the Ministry of Health and WHO Turkmenistan.

On May 2021, WHO published the findings of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) Report on the fourth round of data collection, 2015–2017. The systematic collection and analyses of the data allow intercountry comparisons and a better understanding of the progression of childhood overweight and obesity in Europe. The data shows that childhood obesity remains a major public health problem in the WHO European Region. Turkmenistan belongs to the WHO European region.

Original letter is in English. The letter has been translated into the Turkmen language.

About 12 years ago my mother was diagnosed with cancer in Turkmenistan, she had started losing her voice earlier but the entire time we thought it was because she caught cold. I was a high school student back then, and all I knew about cancer was that most people die from it. I did not know about symptoms, preventive measures, treatment and neither did my parents. They were the working-class folk, with no education beyond high school, and home remedies and traditional medicine were relied upon in our community for the most part anyway. Mama started losing a lot of weight and breathing well became a challenge, this is when one of the family’s friends recommended testing for something more serious than cold in Ashgabat. Fortunately, we were on time, and the Ashgabat doctor in the Oncological Center, saved my mother’s life. Her tumor was a "positive" type, the one that could be cured. She underwent three surgeries and she is enjoying her life to this day, though cancer left her with a disability – she still cannot speak in full voice.

We came across several patients from Turkmenistan who used the services of Hindi Lukman. We conducted an interview with Mr. Asim Afsar, Founder of Hindi Lukman, based in Delhi, India to find out about his work.

Saglyk: Can you tell us briefly about your work? When did Hindi Lukman start?

Hindi Lukman: We are a two and half year-old Health Care Facilitator Company. Our goal is to provide information, guidance, and full support to citizens of Turkmenistan looking for medical treatment in India. Till now, we have helped more than 100 Turkmen families to get good quality medical treatment including some major surgeries like, liver and kidney transplantation. Hindi Lukman serves as an educator, organizer, facilitator, and as an advocate on behalf of a patient. We provide a full logistical support including language services and translation from the Turkmen and Russian languages into English. Detailed information about our services can be found at our website.

Saglyk: Why do Turkmen patients choose India? What are the specific factors that influence their decision to come to India for medical treatment?

Perhaps when you go for a walk you might have witnessed how guys would call out at girls with vile words, how they persistently ask for their cell phone numbers, how they whistle when they pass by, or gaze at girls’ body like "hungry" wolves, they stop their cars and invite girls to take a ride with them, or grab girls’ private parts.  I witness disturbing incidents on the streets that assault Turkmen women’s and girls’ dignity, and I am frustrated by the fact that I cannot do anything about it.  The last event that I experienced resulted in ending my inaction and silence on this issue.