Ambassador Jon Purnell and Uzbekistan?s Minister of Health Feruz Nazirov gave opening remarks at a four-day international conference on ?Building Public Health Capacity and Integration of Disease Control Programs in Central Asia.? Held in Tashkent from May 10 to 14, the conference was organized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Central Asia Regional Office (CDC/CAR), in cooperation with Uzbekistan?s Ministry of Health. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) provided financial support.

The conference?s goals were to further the understanding of successful public health and disease prevention and control programs in Central Asia, and to introduce modern surveillance concepts, including detection and response for special pathogens.

More than 400 epidemiologists, HIV and TB laboratory specialists, maternal and child healthcare professionals, professors and ministry officials from all five Central Asian republics as well as Russia and the United States attended the sessions.

This conference marks the 10th anniversary of the CDC in Central Asia. CDC/CAR?s principal goal in Uzbekistan is to reduce the burden of infectious diseases, primarily HIV and TB. CDC?s strategy is twofold: first, to improve local capacity in surveillance and prevention by strengthening laboratory and epidemiological systems, and second, to build on these capacities by establishing programs that promote the good health of Uzbekistan?s population.

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

USAID provides support for economic and humanitarian development programs in more than 100 countries.