CDC CENTRAL ASIA OFFICE HOSTS WORKSHOP ON PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO RADIATION INCIDENTS FOR CENTRAL ASIA COUNTRIES IN BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN, ON MAY 12-14, 2008

BISHKEK, Kyrgystan – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Central Asia Regional Office (CDC/CAR), will host a three-day workshop,“Public Health Preparedness and Response to Radiation Incidents for Central Asia Countries” May 12-14, 2008, for more than 60 radiation specialists from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The workshop is a part of the U.S. government’s “All Hazards Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response” project.  In collaboration with the host government ministries of health, the project aims to improve public health preparedness and response capacity for various types of public health threats.  These include threats caused by infectious diseases, natural disasters, refugee situations, chemical exposures, and industrial accidents.

The workshop was developed in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Health, and the Republic Sanitary Epidemiologic Services (RSES).

The goal of the workshop is to improve the public health preparedness and response capacity of public health professionals in CAR when addressing radiation incidents.

The safe recovery of radiation sources is of particular concern to the Central Asia Region, and requires close cooperation of various responding agencies.  Participating public health radiation specialists and other responding personnel will learn recovery procedures for radiation sources used in industrial and medical radiography, as well as radiation sources abandoned during the breakup of the former Soviet Union.  A key focus of the workshop is protecting the health and safety of responders and the public during recovery.

The first two workshop days will feature an overview of radiological emergency hazards and protection, managing radiological response, and personal protection guidelines.  The third day of the workshop will be a drill involving a simulated radiation emergency.  Workshop participants will analyze the situation and undertake necessary recovery measures.

Participants will include radiation specialists from the RSES, specialists at local levels, and staff from the ministries of emergency situations from the republics.

The workshop will be opened by Marie L. Yovanovitch, U.S. ambassador in Kyrgyzstan; Sabirjan Abdikarimov, deputy minister of hHealth of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan; David Bull, All Hazards Project director, CDC, Atlanta; and Michael Schmoyer, CDC Central Asia acting director.

CDC is recognized as a leading U.S. governmental agency for protecting the health and safety of people, both within the United States and internationally.  CDC’s mission is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling diseases, injuries, and disabilities.

For more information about CDC activities related to radiation safety: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/.

For more information about the workshop, please contact: Leyla Koroly, CDC/CAR Project Management Assistant; Tel: (998 71) 120-79-05; Fax: (998 71) 120-79-04; e-mail: lkoroly@uz.cdc.gov or Taalaigul Sabyrbekova, Workshop Assistant, Tel: (0555) 530 240; e-mail: tsabyrbekova@gmail.com.

Last revised: May 13, 2008