European Union and World Health Organization join forces for disease prevention and a stronger health care system in Kyrgyzstan: a new project launch

Kyrgyzstan is one of five Central Asian countries to benefit from a 4-year project, jointly funded by the European Union and World Health Organization, to strengthen immunization and the digitalization of health systems towards advancing universal health coverage.

The €10 million project, to be implemented in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, aims to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforce longer-term health resilience through stronger national immunization programmes and health information management systems.

“The EU and the WHO will continue our partnership to strengthen the Kyrgyz health system after the great success during the fight of COVID-19 pandemic,” highlighted Hans Farnhammer, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic.

"This valuable support from the European Union will help in addressing immunization inequity and will strengthen information management systems. WHO is committed to working in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health in this journey to better health," stressed Joana Madureira Lima, Special Representative of the Regional Director, WHO in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The funds will initially be used to scale-up COVID-19 vaccination, develop and implement COVID-19 and routine immunization plans, train healthcare workers and professionals involved in vaccination and strengthen immunization information systems.  The project will also strengthen vaccine-preventable disease surveillance and the use of digital solutions to prevent and respond to future vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.

Furthermore, the funds will be used to enhance data and digital health systems in line with the recently adopted regional digital health action plan 2023-2030 for which Central Asian countries have shown strong support.

The new project builds on earlier support from the European Union and WHO, from 2020-2022, to strengthen the response to COVID-19 in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.