COVID-19 denial in Turkmenistan veiling the real situation

Archives of Public Health

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno¹  Ahed El Abed El Rassoul²  John Bchara³  Attaullah Ahmadi⁴  Hashim Talib Hashim⁵ 

[1] Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;Faculty of Management and Development Studies, University of the Philippines (Open University), Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines;Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon;Medical research center, Kateb University, Kabul, Afghanistan;Tishreen University, Faculty of Medicine, Latakia, Syria;Global health Focus Asia, Kabul, Afghanistan;University of Baghdad, College of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq;

关键词: COVID-19;    Humanitarian crisis;    Pandemic denial;    Turkmenistan;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13690-021-00779-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in late 2019, with the first case identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, on 12 December 2019. In order to perceive the comprehensive impact of this pandemic, we have to know that misinformation and denials about COVID-19 have surely exacerbated its diffusion and hindered the response against it. Turkmenistan remains one of the very few countries in the world that lacks reports about emerging cases of the novel coronavirus. Turkmen authorities claim that they have adopted all attainable measures required in order to combat the virus, asserting that COVID-19 has yet to reach their country. Despite the government’s reported absence of COVID-19 in the country, rumors, media reports and independent sources suggest the spread of the pandemic in Turkmenistan. By mid-June 2020, the outbreak was referred to as being serious with patients suffering extreme health risks, and following its state of disrepair and unethical practices, many of those anticipated to be COVID-19 infected tend to suffer at home, discouraging any interaction with the healthcare system. The civil society in Turkmenistan, for the time being, takes full part of the government’s duty in the process of informing and educating the public regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, and endeavors to keep the government and WHO accountable for behaving in such repressive ways that could lead to rather preventable loss of human life in Turkmenistan. Yet, efforts hang fire before unveiling the real situation, and Turkmenistan’s government owning up to the negations and roaming speculations, not only regarding the coronavirus crisis, but every public-related issue itself.

【 授权许可】

CC BY