On 1 July 2026, consultations were held between the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS) in a hybrid format. The meeting aimed to advance cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 23 April 2026 in Astana between the two organizations on collaboration to promote health, well-being, and environmental sustainability in the Aral Sea Basin.
The meeting brought together Mr. Askhat Orazbay, Chairman of EC IFAS; Dr. Gundo Weiler, Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, Department of Prevention and Health Promotion at the WHO Regional Office for Europe; Dr. Francesca Racioppi, Head of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health (Bonn, Germany); and other participants, who reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening and expanding cooperation.
The consultations focused on the current situation in the Aral Sea Basin and explored opportunities for implementing project proposals on "Ensuring Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation for the Population of the Aral Sea Basin", "Improving the Quality of Healthcare Services", and other socio-economic initiatives under the Fourth Aral Sea Basin Programme (ASBP-4). The participants also discussed cooperation within the framework of the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, to which Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan acceded in 2025–2026.
The parties agreed on a set of follow-up actions to support the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding and further enhance cooperation in addressing health and environmental challenges in the Aral Sea Basin.
