Event highlights
From 14 to 16 July 2026, the WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, conducted a pilot training of trainers on the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11). The training brought together 15 experts from the Ministry and leading national medical institutions.
ICD-11 enables countries to record health information with greater detail and flexibility, supporting improvements in the quality, accuracy and international comparability of morbidity and mortality data. In 2023, Turkmenistan adopted a multiyear roadmap for the introduction of ICD-11 into its health system. The roadmap includes translating the classification into Turkmen, developing national training materials and strengthening the capacity of health statistics specialists to use ICD-11 and its digital tools in practice.
To support implementation of the roadmap, 2 specialists from the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan – Dr Yerbol Spatayev and Dr Zhaniya Nurgaliyeva – adapted existing WHO ICD-11 training resources and developed a 3-day Russian-language programme, drawing on materials from WHO headquarters and with technical support from WHO/Europe. The pilot represented the first national, practice-oriented ICD-11 training of trainers of its kind in Central Asia.
The programme placed a strong emphasis on practical application, with approximately 30% of the training devoted to theory and 70% to hands-on exercises. Participants worked with the ICD-11 Browser and Coding Tool, and completed more than 100 case-based exercises covering morbidity and mortality coding.
The training introduced key ICD-11 concepts, including stem and extension codes and postcoordination. Participants practiced coding diagnoses, other health conditions and reasons for encounter, and applied basic WHO rules for coding causes of death. Each of the programme’s 3 modules included pre- and post-training assessments to reinforce learning and measure participants’ progress.
Participants also received a comprehensive package of training materials that they can use to transfer their knowledge to other health statistics specialists across Turkmenistan. This cascade-training approach will help build sustainable national capacity and support the wider implementation of the country’s ICD-11 roadmap.
Work to introduce ICD-11 is under way across all 5 Central Asian countries in the WHO European Region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Following the pilot in Turkmenistan, the programme will be further refined and delivered in Kazakhstan, contributing to the broader regional transition to ICD-11.
The activity was implemented with funding support from the European Union under the “Central Asia COVID-19 Crisis Response – Phase 2” project.