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Turkmenistan Converts to WHO Live Birth Standard

On January 1, all medical institutions in Turkmenistan began using the international live birth definition recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The shift, ordered by the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in November, is considered an important achievement by international donors including USAID, UNICEF, and UNFPA, who have advocated for this policy change over the past five years.

According to the new definition, newborns weighing 500 grams and with 22 weeks of gestation (instead of the 1000 grams and 28 weeks that was required under the former system) will be registered as births. The transition to the WHO-recommended definition of live births gives those infants who previously were considered miscarriages or stillborns a chance for treatment. It is also a key step in improving newborn care and survival and will help reduce infant and child mortality.

Turkmenistan adopted the international live birth definition as of January 1, which is widely expected to reduce infant and child mortality Photo Credit: ZdravPlus

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