Central Asia Regional Health Security Workshop in Kyrgyz Republic
Central Asia Regional Health Security Workshop was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 11-14 March, 2008. It was co-organized by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the Ministry of Defense, Kyrgyz Republic.
The event hosted approximately 60 participants and speakers, including experts from senior medical, health and disaster relief experts from their respective Ministries of Defense, Health, and Emergency situation. Participants included a mix of military and civilian health leaders from the region and both military and civilian US subject matter experts.
The workshop was designed to address regional health issues and develop a framework to assess the role of health in a stable and secure civil society. It served as a foundation for continued regional collaboration on the healthcare related issues. The objectives of the workshop were to provide a forum to discuss current medical issues, to encourage the development of regional communication and collaboration networks in the field and to encourage the evolution of health systems as a foundation for a secure and stable region.
The workshop tackled the following major themes:
• Civilian-military health collaboration
• Disaster Medicine
• Sanitary and Epidemiological Services
• Health security
It comprised formal, analytical lectures followed by working group discussions with subject matter experts and facilitators. Workshop participants were also guided through a variety of exercises designed to identify and develop health topics related to Stability Operations and Civil Security, to include the role of military members in addressing common health issues. The workshop provided an appropriate environment and atmosphere for focused discussions and information exchange.