On 25th September 2015 at the UN Headquarters in New York, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at eradicating poverty, combating inequality and injustice, and addressing climate change. Each goal contains a set of indicators to be achieved over 15 years and requires the joint efforts of governments, civil society and private sector.

Kyrgyzstan, along with many other countries, has committed to implement the goals of the agenda by incorporating them into public policy and has reflected them in the National Development Strategy “Unity. Trust. Creation.”

In this regard, we have decided to cover each of the Sustainable Development Goals. Today we will focus on Goal 3 “To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” 

In Kyrgyzstan, healthcare is one of the main priorities of state policy.

Currently during the pandemic, public health and the prevention of infectious diseases are a top priority. The World Health Organization is working with all partners in the health sector on the cross-cutting issue of preventing spread, diagnosing and treating the disease by strengthening the health system so that the pandemic can be controlled.

Especially during such pandemic times, it is crucial that essential health services remain available to the population. These include but are not limited to - maternal care, child birth, vaccinations for newborns and children, diabetes, asthma and hypertension treatment. Medical care must be available to anyone in need.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan is a country with a high rate of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 80% of morbidity and mortality. NCDs are the main cause of premature disability and disabilities as well.

A Culture of healthiness is an integral part of a nation’s development. A healthy person lives longer and enjoys life more. Following a healthy lifestyle, regular health checkups with the doctor, monitoring of sugar level, cholesterol and others tests should become the norm in our society.

"I have been working with patients since 1996, I love my job and appreciate every patient. As a doctor, I get frustrated when young people neglect their health and come to the clinic with severe heart or kidney damage, diabetes, or sometimes even strokes,” says cardiologist Saamay Abilova.

According to the doctor, a person should live until at least 70 years or much longer.

"I would like to appeal to everyone to visit their doctor more often, be sure to measure their blood pressure and have a blood pressure monitor at home. Thankfully, they are already available in any pharmacy. Do not eat so much salty food as too much can result in increased blood pressure or cause heart defect. It is impossible to imagine a healthy diet without fresh fruits and vegetables, at least 5 portions daily of vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, radishes and so on. Walking for 30 minutes every day will do a lot for your health, and all this should be promoted now, since overweight is a factor for many diseases.”

- Saamay Abilova, a cardiologist

She stressed that alcohol consumption and smoking are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

In Kyrgyzstan, the economic cost of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses is approximately $246M annually. Diet and nutritional status is an important determinant of non-communicable diseases and excess and inadequate nutrition has become a growing problem in Kyrgyzstan.

The number of adults suffering from obesity in Kyrgyzstan has increased by 180,000 over 10 years. In 2005, the prevalence of obesity among adults was 9%; by 2014 it was 13%.

Unfortunately, only a small proportion of young people lead healthy and active lifestyles. The percentage of young people who say they engage in sports and other physical activity on an occasional or regular basis is only 36%.

Nazira Artykova of the World Health Organization reported that there are simple and affordable measures to reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease.

"According to studies, about 40% of the adult population in Kyrgyzstan suffer from hypertension. Therefore, measuring blood pressure as a means of diagnosing and preventing hypertension in its early stages is very important. But only 4% of people know about it and the rest go to the doctor when they have high blood pressure. WHO is actively working in this direction in the Kyrgyz Republic. An economic analysis of NCD interventions was conducted and it turned out that preventive interventions were the most cost-effective. The most effective was a package to combat high salt, sugar and trans-fats in food, as well as to reduce tobacco use and increase physical activity.”

 - Nazira Artykova, WHO Representative in Kyrgyzstan

"It reflects non-communicable diseases and their management at the primary level, as well as public health measures. Preventative measures are being introduced es at primary levels to identify risk factors by measuring blood pressure, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, BMI measurements and cardiovascular risk assessment. The role of the family nurse, who can successfully counsel on risk factors and teach healthy lifestyles, is currently under review. It has been proven that the nurse is effective in counseling on risk factors. At the same time, we work with the media to highlight issues of prevention and healthy lifestyles".

 - Nurgul Ibraeva, representative of the Ministry of Health

Achieving Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals is the main factor in improving the health of the population in Kyrgyzstan.

This material was developed as part of the Accelerator Program project, with the informational support of the United Nations Development Programme.