Medicine in Kyrgyzstan

Emil kyzy Gulzina1 MIb

The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic is a central authority of the state administration which implements a policy in the sphere of the public health care in the Kyrgyz Republic. The main task of the Ministry is formation of the single policy in the spheres as follows:health care and health promotion; sanitary and epidemiological welfare; health financing and economics; staffing in health care system; provision of medicines to the population; medical science and education; compulsory medical insurance.

Attaining of independence along with development of market relations initiated a process of reformation in all sectors of the national economy of the Kyrgyz Republic including branches of health care system. Health care facilities faced difficult tasks such as health preservation and promotion especially among children, women, old people and others including low-income persons in difficult economic conditions. Along with it, strategies and fundamental principles in the health care had been developed. All of these required from medical community to mobilize both scientific and practical potentials, experience of health care organizers to elaborate draft health care legislation and policy documents. 

The Kyrgyz Republic economy suffered economic depression, deterioration of social and economic situation and the state of the environment. It caused serious problems with health and led to increase of such socially significant diseases as tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, narcomania, HIF-infections. Cardiovascular and oncological diseases have remained the main problem. That made it necessary to reform the health care system in order to improve health by improving the efficiency and quality of the medical services. 

The National Health Care System Reform Programs "Manas" (1996-2005) and "Manas-Taalimi" (2006-2010) contributed much to previous reforms especially in financing and initiated new ones in such spheres as public health care and medical education. "Manas-Taalimi" program is introduced by applying a unique approach known as SWAp (Sector-Wide Approach). Within the SWAp framework "Manas-Taalimi" strategy represents a program of development of public health sector of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is important to note the program is realized under the supervision of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and its partners. Development partners support this single strategy by either providing funds for budget support or parallel financing. The Department for International Development (DFID) (the Great Britain), the German Development Bank (KfW), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Sida and the World Bank offer direct financing to SWAp; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and USAID provide parallel financing. 

The health care sector will receive a significant foreign economic assistance that will be used for purchasing pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, medical products, contraceptives, and vaccines. Through KfW’s support the following projects are conducted in the Republic:"Strengthening of emergency medical services" – is to improve emergency management throughout the Republic and achieve concrete results in goals and objectives in pilot regions considering selected medical institutions and funds available: 6.3 mil EURO with further increase to 20 mln EURO;"HIV/AIDS Prevention Program" – 3,5 mln EURO; "HIV/AIDS Prevention Program – II" – 4 mln EURO (since 2010); "Fight Tuberculosis III-IV" – 5 mln EURO; "Mother and Child Welfare – IV" – 6 mln EURO; "SWAp Technical Support Project" – 8 mln EURO;

Now there are new opportunities for improving the public health service economic performance. The sponsors agree to accumulate their assistance and perhaps increase investments:" SWAp Technical Support Project " - 55 mln USD; " HIV/AIDS Prevention Program " (the Russian Federation, the World Bank) – 10 mln USD.Significant assistance is provided by such organizations as DFID, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the World Bank, Sida and others. 

New objectives for the health care sector according to the new economic policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Government are: to complete the Single-Payer System institutionalization, to improve purchasing mechanisms of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, to assist the market mechanisms development in the health care sector, to pay more attention to improvement of quality of service at all levels of medical assistance provision as well as to intensify health promotion programs. 

In 2007-2010, a number of legal acts of pharmacological support have been accepted under the State Medical Policy. For example, the Kyrgyz Republic Government Regulation No. 75 as of October 10, 2006 approved the List of the Life-saving Medication recommended by WHO and complied with evidentiary medicine strategy regulations. In Kyrgyzstan, further concentration of state financing and scientific potential in priority areas of the health care sector is provided with competitive financing of fundamental research, it goes along with stimulation of scientific and technical enterprise, development of small promotional enterprises and pilot production.

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