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Kyrgyzstan Faces Critical Shortage of 5,000 Doctors

Kyrgyzstan's hospitals are struggling with a shortage of medical staff, with an estimated need for around 5,000 more doctors nationwide, according to Deputy Health Minister Kaarmanbek Baidavletov. He shared these figures during a Jogorku Kenesh meeting, highlighting the urgency of the issue. To address this issue, the Ministry of Health is negotiating with the president's regional representatives to develop solutions. In some districts, local authorities are helping young specialists by taking over utility payments to ease doctors' working conditions. Baidavletov said there should be one doctor for every 1,500 people, but more staff is needed in remote regions and central hospitals. Kyrgyzstan's healthcare system faces several serious challenges. One key problem is the need for more medical personnel, especially in remote regions that lack hematology, neonatology, and pediatrics specialists. In addition, the country has a high incidence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, especially among women. The Women's Health initiative has been launched to enhance awareness and early diagnosis of these diseases. Another initiative focuses on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which the WHO supports. This program provides diagnostic tools and training for medical staff and assesses the prevalence of AMR in Kyrgyzstan to improve clinical protocols and policies in this area.

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Chinese Company to Build FMD Vaccine Production Plant in Kyrgyzstan

China’s Yangling Jinhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. plans to build a plant in Kyrgyzstan to produce foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines, according to the country’s Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry. The announcement followed a meeting between Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, and a delegation from the Chinese company. The project includes the entire production cycle, from raising and fattening livestock to vaccination and slaughtering. Yangling Jinhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is ready to invest in plant construction, transfer advanced technologies, and train local specialists. The parties agreed to establish a working group to implement the project. According to the World Organization for Animal Health,FMD is a severe and highly contagious viral livestock disease with a significant economic impact. It is a transboundary animal disease that profoundly affects livestock production and disrupts regional and international trade in animals and animal products. The parties emphasized the project's importance for strengthening Kyrgyzstan’s veterinary security, as domestically produced vaccines would significantly reduce the spread of infectious diseases among farm animals. Kyrgyzstan is an agricultural country, and livestock farming is the country's primary source of income for its rural population. In September 2024, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry reported that Kyrgyzstan had 1,802,299 head of cattle (cows), 542,527 horses, 6,216,125 sheep and goats, 6,988,968 poultry, and 29,676 pigs.

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Uzbekistan to Fine Parents of Quadrobers

Parents in Uzbekistan have been threatened with fines for the inappropriate behavior of their children who belong to the quadrobika subculture. The Interior Ministry said failure to comply with parental duties will be punishable as parents are responsible for educating their children to respect social norms and preventing inappropriate behavior. The quadrobika subculture, which has emerged among young people, involves using masks and accessories to imitate animals and their habits. This movement has already been noticed in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine, and recently, cases of such behavior have been registered in Tashkent. On October 10, a teenager wearing an animal mask frightened people, and the next day, a quadrober imitating a dog attacked a person and frightened children. Specialists warn that such behavior can harm the mental health of minors, affect their social integration, and even lead to aggression. In this regard, the authorities are pressing home parents' legal obligations to ensure their children's upbringing and education under the Constitution and the Education Act of Uzbekistan. Violating these duties carries a fine of up to five times the basic calculation unit (up to 1.875 million UZS ($147). The Interior Ministry has urged parents to take care of their children's all-round development, reacting in time to the emergence of dangerous sub-cultural phenomena. If necessary, a psychological examination of children may be conducted to determine the impact of quadrobics on their emotional health. In Russia, the issue of administrative responsibility of parents who fail to oversee the upbringing of their children who are addicted to quadrobics has also been raised. The problem has not yet been resolved, a the request to the State Duma has been submitted calling for fines and criminal liability violations. In addition, Gennady Shkil, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, suggested in a sermon that mothers and fathers of quadrobers should be deprived of parental rights. Shkil believes that such “tough measures” are necessary as it is “for the salvation of mankind.”

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Tashkent Student Imprisoned for Trying to Broker Sale of Human Body Parts

A 21-year-old student studying at a university in Tashkent posted an advert on social media earlier this year, announcing that he would help citizens sell their kidneys, livers, and bone marrow. The student stated in his ad that he would buy a human kidney for $38,000, a liver for $43,000, and bone marrow for $23,000. Someone read the ad and said he wanted to sell one of his kidneys. The student said that the donor would be paid $38,000 for it, that the kidney transplant operation would take place in Germany, and that he would have to pay $350 before the trip. The student was caught while receiving this money. Law enforcement officers caught the student on April 26, when he received the agreed-upon $350 from the applicant. The police arrested him as a preventive measure. The student told the court that he did it because he needed money, but he had no acquaintances in Germany. He said he used the $350 for his own needs but wanted to return the sum to his acquaintance later. He also said that his brother, sister, and himself are students and asked the court not to punish him. The court sentenced him to three years in prison.

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Kazakhstan Set to Plant Two Billion Trees

The government's press service reported that about 970 million saplings have been planted across Kazakhstan since 2021, and the country plans to plant over a billion more by the end of 2027. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev said this at the October 8 government meeting on measures to expand the area under forests in Kazakhstan. Over the past five years, the area under forests in Kazakhstan has increased by 267,000 hectares. At the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said: "The head of state has set the task of planting two billion trees, which will increase the forest area in the country to 14.5 million hectares. The expansion of forests and parks and the preservation of biodiversity for future generations are some of the priorities for improving the environmental situation. This is a very complex and long-term work. We need to make every effort to increase the area under forests and preserve the existing forests." The meeting focused on measures to protect forests from fires and illegal logging. Large wildfires in the past years have shown the forestry services' unpreparedness to counteract them. In this regard, the government is working to equip them with firefighting machinery and equipment. This year, 52 billion tenge ($106 million) has been allocated to purchase 1,384 pieces of firefighting equipment. Today, the early detection system of forest fires covers more than 900,000 hectares of forests. Its effectiveness has been proved by the example of the Burabay (Borovoye) National Park, where the average area of forest fires has been reduced 50-fold. According to Nysanbayev, another important issue is planting forests on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea. Over the past 30 years, trees and shrubs have been planted on more than 600,000 hectares of the former Aral Sea bed, including 413,000 hectares over the past four years.

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Children’s Blood Lead Levels in Kyrgyzstan to be Investigated

Kyrgyzstan has started preparing for its first comprehensive study on blood lead levels in children between the ages of 1 and 6. This project is being implemented by the National Institute of Public Health, the National Center for Health Promotion and Mass Communication, and with the support of the Ministry of Health and the Department of Disease Prevention. The study will focus on three key areas. First, an information and education campaign to raise awareness among parents and healthcare providers about the risks of lead poisoning will be launched. Second, the prevalence of lead in children will be assessed to determine the extent of the problem. Third, the study will address environmental analysis to identify sources of lead contamination. Exposure to lead is hazardous for children, as this toxic metal can cause serious health problems even at low levels of exposure. Lead affects brain development, leading to decreased cognitive function, developmental delays, behavioral issues, impaired learning, and reduced concentration ability. Children exposed to lead can also develop kidney and blood pressure problems. On September 26-27, in preparation for the project, specialists from the Health Promotion Cabinets attended a communications training where they studied theoretical and practical aspects of the impact of lead on the body, methods of prevention, and the importance of public awareness. The problem of lead contamination in Kyrgyzstan is still understudied despite many sources of contamination, including tailing ponds, old batteries, and cottage industries. The study is being conducted within the framework of the project “Reducing the Risk of Lead Poisoning in Children” and was made possible through the cooperation of Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Health, the Pure Earth project, and the public association “ECOIS-Bishkek.” The results of this study will become the basis for the development of targeted programs aimed at minimizing the impact of lead on children's health.