Ashgabat, 12 August 2010 – The System of Monitoring and Evaluation within the National Tuberculosis Programme of Turkmenistan has been assessed by national monitoring and evaluation specialists at a one-day workshop in Ashgabat. The workshop was organized by the United Nations Development Programme and Global Fund Grant Implementation Unit for the project “Purposeful strengthening and expanding qualified services on tuberculosis diagnostics and treatment in Turkmenistan” jointly with the Country Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan.

Overall, more than thirty monitoring and evaluation (M&E) specialists participated in the workshop, including representatives from the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, Centre for Prophylaxis of Tuberculosis, regional tuberculosis hospitals, tuberculosis specialists of the Ministry of Interior of Turkmenistan, and representatives of the National Red Crescent Society. Dr Andrei Dadu, World Health Organization expert and Dr Arman Toktabayanov, Grant Manager of the Tuberculosis Project Implementation Unit from Kazakhstan presented the M&E requirements for the Global Fund grants and M&ESS assessment tool.

During the workshop, the group-work sessions were organized to evaluate the National Tuberculosis Programme, capacities of the core group of M&E specialists in data management and to assess the data reporting systems per programme areas. The brainstorming and information provided by the groups will be used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the assessed areas of M&E system, on the bases of which national specialists will develop a draft action plan to address these weak areas. It is expected that the implementation of the action plan will help strengthen the M&E system within the National Tuberculosis Programme of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan has succeeded in application for the Round 9 of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as a result of which a grant in the amount of more than US$ 19 mln was provided for the duration of five years. The grant negotiation process is currently underway and the project “Purposeful strengthening and expanding qualified services on tuberculosis diagnostics and treatment in Turkmenistan” is expected to start in October 2010.