Ensuring a happy and prosperous life for a person, who is proclaimed by the Constitution of Turkmenistan as the highest value of society and the state, is an absolute priority of the far-sighted policy initiated by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag, and now successfully continued under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

In this context, the successes achieved in such significant and largely complementary social spheres as healthcare and sports, which play a key role in strengthening health, preventing diseases, increasing general immunity, and therefore increasing the average life expectancy of the population of our country, are very indicative.

As is known, in the era of the Revival of a new era of a powerful state, in accordance with large-scale transformation programs that provide for the dynamic development of cities and villages, even in the most remote regions modern sports complexes and the most important healthcare facilities are being built.

As reported at the extended meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan held on July 12, the construction of new scientific and clinical centers is currently ongoing, many of which have no analogues in the Central Asian region.

Thus, in April of this year, a complex of buildings of the Center for the Protection of Mother and Child Health of the Mary Velayat was commissioned, which became another indicator of a responsible approach to ensuring the harmonious development of the younger generation.

Attaching special importance to the protection of motherhood and childhood, the state creates all the conditions for the restoration and strengthening of the health of children, with whom the brightest hopes for the future have been associated since time immemorial.

Surrounding children with all possible care and love is a defining feature of the mentality of the Turkmen people. The best evidence of this is the active work of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care, created on the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen People.

It has become a regular practice to allocate funds from the Fund to conduct various operations and necessary medical and diagnostic procedures for children in need of care in medical institutions of the capital and velayats of the country, as well as to cover the costs of purchasing equipment and medical supplies for young Turkmen citizens who are raised and educated in orphanages and boarding schools.

Thanks to the Fund, pediatric departments of hospitals in etraps and cities of velayats received modern ambulances equipped with the necessary equipment. And this year, hemodialysis machines "Dialog +" (artificial kidney) were donated to healthcare institutions of all five regions, improving the quality and increasing the life expectancy of patients suffering from chronic renal failure.

In accordance with the adopted State Program "Saglyk", great importance is attached to the modernization of the industry infrastructure, the active implementation of innovative technologies, the best world experience and achievements. In this regard, as part of the intensification of international cooperation, close contacts have been established with leading medical institutions and research centers of the planet.

The positive experience of our country in the field of modernization of the healthcare system has received wide recognition from the world community and authoritative international organizations, including the UN and its specialized structures - WHO, UNICEF.

Long-term productive partnership is carried out in a wide range of areas, including the prevention and control of infectious and non-infectious diseases, smoking, healthy nutrition, strengthening the healthcare system, holding scientific and practical conferences and seminars on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, organizing meetings and round tables on topical health issues, etc.

The established constructive dialogue with authoritative organizations allows Turkmen doctors to use the most effective methods of diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Confirmation of the significant successes achieved by domestic medicine have become international certificates received in recent years on the elimination of a number of dangerous infectious diseases in Turkmenistan.

It should be noted that the country has adopted a package of legislative acts, national and state programs in the field of healthcare, which are regularly updated in accordance with the requirements of the time and recommendations of the World Health Organization. These include: National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025; National Program for Improving the Immunity of the Population in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025; National Strategy "Healthy Mother - Healthy Child - Healthy Future" for the Protection of Maternal and Child Health in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025 and others.

The measures taken directly contribute to providing the population with high-quality medical services in accordance with high international standards, allowing for early diagnosis and effective treatment of both common and rare diseases.

The introduction of the latest treatment methods also implies the training of highly qualified personnel, in connection with which Turkmen specialists are regularly sent to courses in leading medical centers in Europe and other countries.

Thus, during a Government meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, speaking about the importance of the work carried out in the field of healthcare, once again drew attention to the need to provide high-quality services in medical institutions of the country and organize business trips to improve the qualifications of doctors.

The head of state also instructed to continue to take appropriate measures for the further development of the pharmaceutical industry and providing the population with high-quality medicines and health protection products in sufficient quantities.

As is known, a number of pharmaceutical enterprises have already been commissioned in our country, producing various medical products from environmentally friendly local raw materials, based on medicinal plants of the Turkmen land. At present, this work is successfully continuing. Thus, in the city of Turkmenabat in the Lebap velayat, the construction of an enterprise for the production of glycyrrhizic acid based on the processing of licorice root is in full swing, which will be part of the Buýan complex.

The current high level of health care can rightfully be called one of the most significant achievements of our sovereign Fatherland.

It should be noted that the peculiarity of the national health care system is its extensive preventive work - prevention and diagnosis of diseases at an early stage, which directly serves to reduce the incidence rate among the population, increasing the duration of its active, fulfilling life.

The most important component of the large-scale work carried out in this direction is the development of preventive and personalized medicine using natural healing factors, in particular, the improvement of spa services, allowing for targeted and highly effective rehabilitation of patients.

The climate, diversity of natural landscapes and resources of our country, unique mineral waters and therapeutic muds that help cure many ailments directly contribute to the development of the resort industry.

Guided by the key principle of the policy "The state is for the people!", which has become decisive in the development of domestic medicine, a whole network of health resort institutions has been created and is successfully operating throughout the country, providing the population with a wide range of services.

The latest health technologies used here, the comfortable conditions created for rest and treatment contribute to the restoration of health, relieve fatigue, and return people to vigor and energy.

Throughout the year, numerous patients are treated at the Arçman, Ýyly suw and Bagabat sanatoriums in the Ahal province, Mollagara and Awaza in the Balkan province, Daşoguz in the northern region of the country, Farap in the Lebap province, Baýramaly in the Mary province and Berzeňňi in Ashgabat.

At the same time, planned reconstruction work is carried out at these resorts on a systematic basis. Thus, in accordance with the Decree of the head of state signed in October 2023, work has begun on the construction of an additional complex of buildings and the reconstruction of buildings A and B at the Arçman sanatorium in the Baharden etrap of the Ahal province.

The sanatoriums of Turkmenistan, which have been virtually rebuilt and have changed their appearance beyond recognition, are not inferior to, and sometimes even surpass, the world's famous medical and preventive centers in terms of equipment and range of services provided.

Innovative resort infrastructure is also being intensively formed in the Avaza National Tourist Zone, which is a multifunctional recreational complex on the ecologically clean coast of the Caspian Sea. The main goal of implementing this large-scale project is to realize the colossal potential of the region, which is rightfully recognized as a unique pearl of the Turkmen region.

Today, public health protection is a comprehensive system that includes, among other things, solving important environmental problems, including greening of cities and villages; developing active recreation infrastructure; creating conditions, opportunities and motivation for the population to lead a healthy lifestyle and give up bad habits, in particular, smoking.

In this context, physical education and sports are considered fundamental factors of public health. Much attention in the ongoing large-scale preventive work is paid to expanding the physical culture and health movement, actively involving Turkmen citizens in various sports.

The formation of a modern sports infrastructure directly serves these goals. In accordance with the National Program for the Support and Development of Physical Culture and Sports in Turkmenistan for 2021–2025, stadiums, equestrian centers, autodromes, tennis courts, swimming pools and other modern specialized facilities have been built and continue to be built in the country.

It is noteworthy that the sports component is an indispensable condition for the construction of educational and preschool institutions, and the arrangement of areas for active recreation and sports grounds is an integral requirement for the construction of residential areas, which helps to improve the health of the population, especially the younger generation.

An eloquent testimony to the high appreciation and recognition by the world community of our country's successes in the development of sports, the promotion of the values ​​​​of the physical culture and health movement was the announcement of June 3 as World Bicycle Day on the initiative of Turkmenistan. On the occasion of this date, mass bike rides are held annually in the Fatherland with the participation of numerous supporters of a healthy lifestyle.

As a member of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Culture and Sport, Turkmenistan makes a worthy contribution to the development of the Olympic movement, the implementation of its humanistic principles - strengthening peace and harmony on the planet, friendship between countries and peoples at the regional and global levels.

The emergence of the Olympic Village in Ashgabat, which has no analogues in Central Asia, contributed to the rise of Turkmen sports to a higher level. It was here in 2017 that the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games were held with great success, opening a new bright page in the history of national sports.

This event marked the transition of Turkmenistan to the category of countries capable of organizing major tournaments at a high level, and also testifies to the success of sports diplomacy, implemented in the interests of universal peace and prosperity.

Turkmenistan's prestige as a country where all the conditions for holding international competitions have been created was further enhanced by the 2018 Amul-Khazar International Rally and the World Weightlifting Championships, as well as the 14th Kurash World Wrestling Championships held in November 2023.

A significant event of this year was the International Ice Hockey Tournament, where the Turkmen hockey club "Galkan" won 1st place and the main prize.

The country's sports reputation was strengthened by the announcement of Ashgabat as the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth. As is known, this decision was made unanimously within the framework of the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS held in the capital on May 24, becoming an unforgettable gift to the Turkmen people on the eve of Ashgabat City Day.

Another recognition of Turkmenistan's significant contribution to the development of world sports is the announcement of the Tennis Complex of the capital's Olympic Village as the "Educational and Training Center of the Asian Region" and the presentation of the corresponding certificate of the Asian Tennis Federation.

A clear confirmation of the success of the reforms carried out in the national sports system was the emergence of a whole galaxy of young talented athletes who worthily represent our sovereign Fatherland at major competitions of the planet and contribute to strengthening its sports image on the world stage.

In 2021, new bright pages were opened in the history of national sports. As is known, at the XXXII Summer Olympics held in Tokyo (Japan), our compatriot Polina Guryeva, who competed in the weightlifting tournament, won a silver medal, which became the first Olympic award in the history of Turkmenistan.

This high achievement inspired our athletes to further hone their skills.

Thus, since the beginning of this year alone, our athletes, who took part in a number of prestigious international competitions, have won 122 gold, 103 silver and 136 bronze medals. These significant victories were, of course, the result not only of their painstaking work and determination, but also of the excellent conditions created at the state level for practicing various sports.

These days, all Turkmen citizens are closely following the performances of our valiant athletes, who were honored to represent the Fatherland at the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games taking place in the capital of France - Paris, sincerely wishing them new victories that will strengthen the authority of Turkmenistan as a young sports power.

Thus, the presented review of successes and achievements in the areas of healthcare and sports is a clear illustration of the effectiveness and relevance of the socially oriented policy pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, which places at the forefront all-round care for people, their health and well-being.