On November 3, 2017, the round table on presentation and discussion of educational course on “Environmental Epidemiology” was held in Tashkent Institute for Advanced Medical Education under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The event was organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) within “Environment and Health” Programme. Such educational course was developed for the first time in Uzbekistan with active involvement of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, Tashkent Institute for Advanced Medical Education, and Tashkent Medical Academy (TMA). The course will be launched on the basis of Tashkent Institute for Advanced Medical Education with further introduction to the learning process in training and retraining of the specialists of the Ministry of Health, the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, TMA, and other specialized agencies.
The event had a format of working meeting with participation of representatives of the Ministry of Health, the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, CAREC, Tashkent Institute for Advanced Medical Education, the Center for Retraining and Advanced Training in Environmental Protection, TMA, and specialized organizations.
– There is a scientific proof and direct relationship between life expectancy, the level of a person's physical development and pollution of natural objects: air, water and land resources, ecosystems. A bright example of this relationship is the ecological crisis in the Aral Sea area. A priority in Uzbekistan is given to modernization of environmental monitoring system, development of system of state environmental expertise that should be a fundamental and preventive tool in reducing the negative impact on the environment and, consequently, on health of population. To implement these tasks, highly qualified specialists are needed, both in the fields of medicine and ecology. In this regard, it is very important to conduct a comprehensive and constructive discussion of the new educational course, designed for a wide range of specialists, – mentioned the representative of the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection during the event, announcing welcoming remarks of Mr. Ravshan Fayziev, director of the Center for Specialized Analytical Control in the Field of Environmental Protection under the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection of and national coordinator from Uzbekistan of CAREC “Environment and Health” Programme.
The enhancement of healthcare sphere is one of the important directions in the state policy of Uzbekistan. The head of the state pays special attention to improving the quality of medical services, as well as raising the level of skills and retraining of medical personnel.
– Environmental epidemiology is a complex scientific discipline that considers all aspects of the environment and is targeted at health of the population, – emphasized Mr. Damir Zaredinov, the chief radiologist of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the national technical coordinator for development of educational course on “Environmental Epidemiology”. – Intensive changes of the environment under the influence of anthropogenic activity and negative trends in changes of quality of environment cause anxiety and concern not only among specialists in the field of ecology, medicine, hygienists and others, but also among the public. The developed course on environmental epidemiology is represented by a single special methodology and new concepts; it is designed to facilitate the learning process in the interests of preserving and strengthening the health of population, to form a system of scientific and practical knowledge.
The issues of prevention of ecological problems, damaging the state of environment, health and gene pool of the population are reflected in new Action Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021. In order to implement this Strategy for five priority areas, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan introduced a proposal to CAREC to prepare a course on “Environmental Epidemiology for doctors of the centers of state sanitary and epidemiological surveillance and employees of territorial subdivisions of State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.
– It should be noted that the development of educational course in the system of advanced training of the specialists, its introduction in learning processes of training and retraining of the specialists of the Ministry of Health, the State Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection, as well as the dissemination of the knowledge on regional level will serve as a particular practical step within CAREC Programme “Environment and Health”, implemented since 2015 and aimed at the solution of environmental issues that influence people’s health, – said Ms. Irina Bekmirzaeva, “Environment and Health” Programme Manager.
According to WHO, a quarter of all diseases in Central Asian region is caused by the influence of environmental factors. The main goal of CAREC “Environment and Health” Programme is to identify the relationship between human health and environment in the region, as well as to find solutions to reduce the burden of environmental problems on public health. The program is implemented in close cooperation with specialized organizations and agencies.
After successful introduction of educational course in Uzbekistan, it is planned to disseminate the experience, knowledge and methodology to other countries of Central Asia.
For additional information, please, contact the Manager of CAREC “Environment and Health” Programme Ms. Irina Bekmirzaeva: ibekmirzaeva@carececo.org