USAID Turkmenistan

Economic Growth

Program Components

Implementing Partners

Economic Policy:  Through its Economic Reform to Enhance Competitiveness project, USAID stands prepared to assist Turkmenistan to improve the legal and regulatory environment with banking and financial reforms, including banking supervision, macroeconomic forecasting, and monetary and credit policy analysis and implementation. Such reforms could improve the climate for enterprise development and foreign investment in Turkmenistan.

BearingPoint,Inc. 

Financial Sector: Through the Accounting/CIPA project, USAID supports the Certified International Professional Accountant program, which is based on International Financial Reporting Standards, and builds local capacity to meet the technical and professional standards of the accounting profession.

The Pragma Corporation

Agricultural Productivity:  By building linkages that connect entrepreneurial farmers to profitable markets, USAID promotes Turkmenistan’s agricultural sector. In addition, sustainable farmers’ organizations help producers respond to specific market opportunities and meet the demands of new high-value markets.  The primary focus of USAID assistance is on targeted support in the adoption of improved, market-oriented production and practices which will spur wider acceptance of such methods. Through the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, USAID brings volunteer experts to deliver technical assistance to small and medium agribusinesses. 

Winrock International

Private Sector Productivity: To help young people successfully enter a market economy as employers or entrepreneurs, USAID supports development of practical skills in business and economics education at the secondary school level through Junior Achievement (JA).  This program increases access to economics and business education for young people through student-oriented activities, contests and alumni networking.  To support the professional development of participating teachers, JA has established training centers in all five provinces in Turkmenistan.  The program also improves the institutional capacity of JA‘s operations in Turkmenistan through organizational development, strengthening partnerships with the private sector to increase sustainability and engagement with the public sector to incorporate business and economics education into the mainstream curriculum.

Junior Achievement 

Modern Energy Services:  Energy is driving economic growth in Central Asia. Development of energy resources within a framework of transparency, good governance and integration with regional markets is an essential building block for sustainable economic growth in the region. Through Regional Energy Market Assistance Program (REMAP), USAID assists in the creation of a Central Asian regional transmission planning model, the development of a regional electricity market model, electricity market regulatory harmonization and provides capacity- building activities for key energy institutions.

United States Energy Association

Investing in People

Program Components

Implementing Partners

Quality of Primary Health Care: Working primarily through its ZdravPlus II project, USAID supports quality improvement training seminars for primary health care staff on such topics as basic laboratory training skills and interpersonal communications to improve doctor- patient interactions. Based on the project’s results, the government of Turkmenistan requested, in 2007, that ZdravPlus expand its automated health information system developed for hospitals to three additional pilot hospitals. The hospital-based information system provides data that better links costs to services delivered, enabling rational assessments for payment systems and other health financing reforms.

 Abt Associates

Maternal, Child, and Reproductive Health: USAID trains health staff to manage obstetric and pre-natal health care in pilot sites. USAID’s “Keeping Children Healthy” campaigns, as well as other education on management of common but serious childhood illnesses, is also being expanded to include new pilot districts in Dashoguz, Ahal, Balkan, Lebap and Mary provinces. Implementation of the new methodology, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), is being monitored in 14 pilots. Zdrav Plus now provides three forms of IMCI – for family doctors, for family nurses and for hospitals. 

USAID supports the implementation of the National Safe Motherhood Program  which educates families on effective perinatal care, and develops and disseminates standards for maternal and child health.

USAID supports Turkmenistan’s adoption of the WHO-recommended live birth definition.  This step involves policy change at the national level, as well as the training of health officials, neonatologists, obstetricians and pediatricians.  The WHO criteria provide a broader definition of live birth than did the Soviet version, opening the way for internationally comparable statistics and interventions to reduce infant mortality.  CDC assists in the development of related regulations and documents. In cooperation with UNICEF, CDC trained medical staff on the application of the new definition, and monitor their progress in applying the knowledge and skills they obtained to their daily practice. 

Abt Associates;
 
Project HOPE Consortium;

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Infectious Disease Control:  Tuberculosis (TB) control is a priority for the government Of Turkmenistan, which has decreed national implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) strategy for TB control. In 2007, Turkmenistan reported 100% coverage of the country with DOTS..  USAID provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry on implementation of DOTS in the cities of Ashgabat and Mary, and Balkan province. In addition to technical assistance, USAID provided essential laboratory equipment to new laboratories in pilot areas.  Project HOPE, together with the Turkmenistan Medical University’s TB faculty, provides training seminars for TB specialists, primary health care physicians and other health professionals.  With the support of USAID, provided through the Project HOPE Consortium, the government of Turkmenistan received free TB medicines from the Global Drug Facility.

Although Turkmenistan has not yet had an officially documented outbreak of avian influenza, USAID is assisting the government of Turkmenistan in its efforts to prevent its spread amongst the animal population and prepare for a possible human pandemic. The Farmer- to- Farmer project used volunteer technical assistance to help the government of Turkmenistan to properly educate farmers and villagers about the H5N1 virus.  CDC provided assistance to the government of Turkmenistan in upgrading its avian flu laboratory equipment and training laboratory staff in PCR quality assured testing.

Project HOPE Consortium;
 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
 
World Health Organization;
 
Winrock International

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control:  The government of Turkmenistan developed and approved a national HIV/AIDS prevention program for 2005-2010. 
In March, 2007, USAID and the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding on implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention activities under the USAID CAPACITY project. In 2008, the CAPACITY Project opened its first HIV/AIDS Prevention Youth Centre in Ashgabat in cooperation with the National HIV/AIDS Centre, the Youth Union and the MOHMI. It works with young people who are at increased risk for contracting HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and for drug abuse. The center organizes such activities as language courses, computer classes, sports and social clubs that are alternatives to risky behavior. Young people are able to receive counseling on reproductive health, psychosocial support and referral for medical treatment.

In Turkmenistan, CAPACITY works closely with the National AIDS Center on HIV prevention, by educating vulnerable populations and strengthening the technical capacity of the Center to manage the national HIV/AIDS prevention program for Turkmenistan.  CAPACITY also focuses on improving the quality of HIV/AIDS services, including voluntary consulting and testing.

With USAID funding, CDC’s regional blood safety training program equipped six serology labs in Turkmenistan in 2005 and trained specialists on laboratory quality control. In 2007, CDC provided refresher training for laboratory specialists at blood stations and AIDS Centers on hepatitis and HIV/AIDS diagnostics and trained 25 specialists on safe blood transfusion practices with an accent on reducing unnecessary blood transfusions.

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.;
 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Basic Education:  The goal of the Quality Learning Program (QLP) is to expand access to quality primary and secondary education in Turkmenistan.  Project activities will build on achievements and lessons learned by USAID’s previous program in basic education.  The project will also support the government’s efforts to implement their national education strategy.  The project will result in improved student learning outcomes through broad application of modern teaching and student assessment methodologies.

Creative Associates International, Inc.

Governing Justly and Democratically

Program Components

Implementng Partners

Civic Participation:  USAID supports the strengthening of civil society and citizen organizations in approximately 50 communities as they seek to develop their communities and participate in local governance at the community level.  Activities help citizens improve their knowledge of civic and legal rights and the means to protect them.  The program also provides skills and organizational capacity to identify and address community needs by working in coordination with local authorities and the business community.  USAID provides legal advice to NGOs and other organizations on the legal framework for their operation.

The USAID Community Connections program provides U.S. exchange visits for a wide variety of professionals including business leaders, local/national government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and health professionals. Participants are exposed to the institutions and challenges of a democratic, free-market society and  inspired to implement change in their home countries. Professional linkages between the American host communities and the participants’ home communities are created. Through this program 940 Turkmen citizens have participated in  study tours. The themes for these tours are:  agriculture, maternal and child health, mass media, community activism, HIV/AIDS prevention, and effective school management.

Counterpart
(Urban Institute,
American Bar Association);

PACT (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law); 
 
World Learning (ACCELS -American Councils)

Media Freedom and Freedom of Information: USAID assists in increasing access to information, through internet and other means.  This includes support for a network of five internet access centers, which connect experts, activists, academics and professionals in innovative ways that facilitate democratic exchange, provide a forum for ideas and opinions, and cultivate social dialogue.

PACT;

IREX

Contact Information

Regional Mission Director:
William Frej
USAID
41 Kazibek Bi St., B Wing
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480100
Ph.: 7-3272-50-76-12
http://centralasia.usaid.gov 

Country Program Officer:
Ashley Moretz
USAID
Business Center, A block
1 Yunus Emre St., “Mir 2/1,”
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744017
Ph.: 993-12-456-130 

Central Asia Desk Officer:
Bob Wallin
USAID, Washington
Ph.: 202 712-0141

Regional Mission Director: 
Andrew Sission
USAID
41 Kazibek Bi St., B Wing
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480100
Ph.: 7-3272-50-76-12
http://centralasia.usaid.gov 

Country Program Officer: 
Ashley Moretz
USAID
Business Center, A block 
1 Yunus Emre St., “Mir 2/1,”
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 744017
Ph.: 993-12-456-130
 

Central Asia Desk Officer: 
Bob Wallin 
USAID, Washington 
Ph.: 202 712-0141