Good morning, distinguished representatives of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, esteemed colleagues from the WHO and UNICEF, and honored guests. It is a pleasure to be here today to participate in the opening of European Immunization Week 2025.

The European Union places a high priority on global health security, and immunization is a crucial component of that. The EU believes that vaccination is a fundamental right and that everyone, regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic status, should have access to vaccines. The EU prioritizes vaccine safety and quality, ensuring that all vaccines used in EU-funded programs meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy.

European Immunization Week provides a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits of vaccines and to promote their uptake. As we gather here to promote the importance of vaccinations and immunization, I would like to highlight the European Union's commitment to supporting global health initiatives, including those in Central Asia and Turkmenistan.

The key EU policies on vaccination are the EU's Global Health Strategy and the EU's Vaccination Strategy. Together these two strategies provide a comprehensive framework for the EU's approach to vaccination and outline the EU's policies and actions to support vaccination efforts both within the EU and globally.

In addition, the European Union supports global vaccination efforts through robust partnerships with key organizations such as Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). These organizations are key players in global immunization, and the EU provides financial and technical support to their vaccination programs. 

Furthermore, I wish to spotlight the EU's Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs), flagship programed that unite the EU, its Member States, and financial institutions to deliver transformative results in partner countries. Initially launched to address the COVID-19 pandemic, TEIs now underpin the EU’s Global Europe strategy (2021–2027), with over 150 initiatives worldwide driving sustainable development, health, digital and green transitions.

https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/team-europe-initiatives_en   

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/new-%E2%80%98ndici-global-europe%E2%80%99-2021-2027_en 

In Central Asia, the EU collaborates closely with partner countries to strengthen health systems and improve vaccination access. The prime example is the EU’s €10 million project (2022–2026), implemented In Central Asia with WHO/Europe, which is transforming health systems in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This initiative has scaled up COVID-19 vaccination, strengthened routine immunization, and modernized digital health systems training over 5,200 health workers since 2020 in immunization and infection control, delivering essential medical supplies to frontline facilities. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/28-10-2022-eu-and-who-work-together-for-better-health-in-central-asia  

Moreover, the EU and its Member States mobilized €123 million for Central Asia to address COVID-19. This included a €3 million Central Asia COVID-19 Crisis Response Solidarity Programme, implemented by WHO, with a focus on Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to strengthen health system resilience. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/turkmenistan/european-union-and-turkmenistan_en 

In Turkmenistan, the EU has been a constant partner in immunization programs, primarily through collaborations with WHO and UNICEF. A tangible example to this is the EU-funded Central Asia Countries COVID-19 Response (CACCR) project, implemented by the World Health Organization. This important initiative has played a crucial role in strengthening laboratory capacity, improving surveillance systems, supporting healthcare worker training, enhancing risk communication, contributing to vaccination efforts during the pandemic, and expanding trusted informational resources for health workers and general public. It demonstrates our joint commitment to building resilience against health threats. The lessons learned and the strengthened capacities through the CACCR project can also positively contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance routine immunization programs in Turkmenistan.

However, as we champion the vital role of immunization, we must also address a concerning global challenge: the spread of disinformation, particularly regarding vaccination. We have witnessed, across Europe and indeed globally, the damaging impact of anti-vaccination movements fueled by misinformation. These movements erode public trust in science and healthcare professionals, leading to decreased vaccination rates and consequently, outbreaks of preventable diseases. 

For instance, in Europe, we have seen resurgences of measles in countries where vaccination coverage has fallen due to unfounded fears and conspiracy theories propagated online. 

The EU is actively combating this disinformation often fueled by false propaganda originating from sources like the Kremlin through various initiatives. We are working with social media platforms to identify and address the spread of false information, supporting media literacy campaigns to empower citizens to evaluate critically online content, and funding research to understand the drivers and impact of vaccine hesitancy. 

Furthermore, the EU emphasizes transparent and evidence-based communication about vaccine safety and efficacy, working closely with national health authorities to build public confidence in immunization programs. This fight against disinformation is a crucial part of our broader commitment to global health, as the consequences of vaccine hesitancy extend far beyond national borders, threatening the health and well-being of populations worldwide. 

This conference that is an important step in our collective efforts to strengthen immunization programs in Turkmenistan and the wider region may also help to face these challenges. 

In conclusion, let me underline that the EU deeply values its partnership with Turkmenistan, recognizing that addressing global health challenges requires a united approach. We are proud to collaborate with the WHO, UNICEF, and other organizations to promote immunization and improve global health, as clearly demonstrated through our support for the joint projects. I believe that building on the foundations laid by initiatives like the CACCR project we can further enhance the health security of the population. 

We will continue to support Turkmenistan's efforts to improve the health and well-being of its citizens, and we see our joint project as an important part of this ongoing collaboration. 

I look forward to the discussions and outcomes of this conference, and I am confident that we can achieve significant progress in our shared goal of protecting people from preventable diseases.

Thank you.
28 April 2025