Healthcare - The Times Of Central Asia

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Did DIY Butchers Cause Twenty-One Meat Poisonings in Turkmenistan?

A hospital in the eastern Turkmen town of Sayat has admitted 21 people with symptoms of food poisoning, after eating at a restaurant where they were given infected meat. All the patients were kept in hospital for several days, Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports. An outbreak of a disease among camels and cattle, presumably animal pox, was recently recorded in Sayat. The virus began to spread rapidly but has since been halted by epidemiological and veterinary services. The way that dead animals are disposed of in Turkmenistan poses an additional threat. The authorities do not control this process, and many people bury cattle corpses on their own in wastelands or throw them into bushes. Due to this, a new problem has emerged: people, dubbed giçki maslykçylar (“night scavengers”) find recently dead animals, skin them, and cut out the parts of the carcass that have not rotted away. This meat is then sold to cafes and restaurants for 50 manats per kilogram, slightly cheaper than the market price of 60-65 manats for fresh meat. Viral animal pox is spreading among camels and cattle in some countries of Central Asia, including Turkmenistan. The virus causes skin lesions, including papules and pustules, which can lead to mass infections in livestock. If not treated promptly, the disease can spread among farm animals, which can cause mass mortality. In most cases, animal pox does not pose a serious threat to humans, but some strains can be transmitted to people. Diseases such as cowpox and sheeppox can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals. These viruses cause skin rashes and can affect mucous membranes, making them potentially dangerous to humans, especially if precautions are not taken when in contact with them. Local authorities have started inspecting stores and markets selling meat and fish. Sellers who sell products without appropriate certificates from sanitary-epidemiological services are being fined 3,000 to 5,000 manats ($850 to $1400).

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.

Air Pollution Linked to One in Five Infant Deaths in Central Asia

According to a report by UNICEF, an estimated 6,441 children and teenagers died from causes attributable to air pollution in 23 countries across Europe and Central Asia in 2021. Statistics show that 85% of the children died in the first year of their lives, and one in five infant deaths were linked to air pollution. As stated in the report, “Most deaths were attributed to ambient and household fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5). And all of these deaths were preventable." In 2021, the region's children and teenagers lost more than 580,000 years of healthy life (DALYs) as a result of premature death and disability caused by air pollution. Compared to other environmental factors, including high temperatures, unsafe water, and poor sanitation, polluted air has been found, by far, the most life-threatening. Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution is also associated with higher rates of miscarriage, early fetal loss, preterm birth, and low birth weight and in pregnant women, increases the risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and postpartum depression. By restricting fetal growth, air pollution can significantly increase the risk of disease, heart defects, pneumonia, asthma, eczema, allergies, and high blood pressure. Even before birth, air pollution can harms a child’s lungs, brain, and organs, affecting cognitive development and raising the risk of respiratory diseases throughout the child's life. Since children breathe more air relative to their body weight, they absorb more pollutants than adults, and for this reason, newborns are especially vulnerable to pneumonia, a leading cause of infant death. Air pollution in Europe and Central Asia, especially from PM2.5 and PM10 particles, is mainly caused by the use of fossil fuels in homes, businesses, and institutions. Coal is especially harmful to children’s health. Energy sources vary between and within countries depending on power supplies and infrastructure. High levels of air pollution from the use of coal for residential heating in winter, coupled with the interaction of ambient air pollution with indoor air pollution in homes, schools, health care facilities, etc., are cited by UNICEF as the primary sources of exposure for children. UNICEF notes the importance of the region's governments and institutions focusing more attention and resources to air pollution prevention, energy efficiency, clean energy use, supporting clean air measures, and protecting children from exposure. The organization also emphasizes the need to develop air quality warning systems and corresponding action plans for schools and kindergartens in Europe and Central Asia. Last but not least, as a measure to improve air quality, UNICEF recommends enhancing data collection to better understand local pollution, campaigns promoting clean energy and energy efficiency in homes, and a strict smoking bans in indoor public spaces. High levels of air pollution observed in Central Asian countries is ongoing and the subject of several articles previously covered by The Times of Central Asia.

WHO and UNDP to Upgrade Kazakhstan’s Virological Labs

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare, the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Kazakhstan, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced a strategic partnership to upgrade the country's critical health infrastructure, supported by a three-year grant from the Pandemic Fund. As reported by UNDP in Kazakhstan, the collaboration will better prepare Kazakhstan for potential pandemics by enhancing its management of response to infectious diseases. Key components of the initiative include renovating and modernizing Almaty's virological laboratory and the construction of another in Turkestan. Both facilities will incorporate SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) as well as “green” technologies to ensure sustainability and environmental responsibility. The project also includes the renovation of the National Scientific Center of Especially Dangerous Infections in Almaty to improve the infrastructure, functionality, and safety standards of its virological and bacteriological laboratories, and the modernization of sanitary and quarantine checkpoints across Kazakhstan. Russia earlier reported on the alleged existence of US laboratories developing biological weapons in Kazakhstan. Issued by the Kremlin-controlled media in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report's claims have been staunchly denied by Zauresh Zhumadilova, Director General of the National Scientific Center of Especially Dangerous Infections under the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan. According to Zhumadilova, all laboratories in Kazakhstan belong to the government and are controlled by the country’s Ministry of Health. In June, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov, also commented on rumors concerning the alleged existence of foreign biological laboratories in Kazakhstan and reiterated, “The [Kazakh] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authorized bodies have several times stated that there are no biological laboratories run by the USA or any other country, in Kazakhstan." He added that the research center in Almaty, fully funded by the state, is run by local specialists. Reuters has reported that artificial intelligence (AI) was behind the fake news, originated in China, about the existence of U.S. laboratories allegedly developing biological weapons in Kazakhstan. Referencing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment, the agency stated that a Chinese government-controlled news site using a generative AI platform, had promoted a previously circulated false claim that the United States was running a lab in Kazakhstan to create biological weapons for use against China. According to DHS, China and other adversaries are developing AI technologies that could undermine U.S. cyber defenses, including generative AI programs that support malware attacks. In response, Reuters reports that the Biden administration is poised to launch a new front to safeguard the U.S. from AI technologies developed by China and Russia, and comments on the potential employment of AI by U.S. adversaries to wage aggressive cyberattacks or even create potent biological weapons.

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Legalization of Traditional Medicines and Practices

Kyrgyzstan's Health Ministry has devised an initiative to legalize traditional folk medicine. A draft decree of the Cabinet of Ministers on the procedure for training specialists has now been submitted for public discussion. Proposed by Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliev, the initiative concerns the study of traditional healing methods such as phytotherapy, massage, acupuncture, apitherapy, and hippotherapy, conducted through specialist training programs. He has also mooted the establishment of a research institute or Academy of Traditional Kyrgyz Medicine offering courses in theoretical and practical skills taught by professionals in the field, alongside the foundation of a dissertation council for the defense of academic degrees in the discipline. Central to the project, is the introduction of a budget for traditional medicine specialists, such as acupuncturists and physiotherapists, in all medical institutions of the country. There are also plans to open a research institute to test the efficacy of medicinal plants and conduct clinical trials. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers has proposed the implementation of medicinal herb plantations for the subsequent production of related medical drugs. It is worth noting that in both several former Soviet Union and countries worldwide, traditional medicine has been legalized and integrated into state healthcare systems. For example, Russia and Belarus practice traditional treatments, including phytotherapy, acupuncture, alongside modern medical procedures. Traditional Chinese medicine is widely practiced in China, Japan, and Korea, and Ayurveda and Yunani are actively being developed in India. The World Health Organization also supports the development of traditional medicine by helping countries develop recognized international standards.

Air Pollution Local Economy Social Healthcare Transport

Better Buses Help Air Quality in Bishkek to Improve

Officials claim that the air quality in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, has significantly improved over the last two years due to the ongoing renewal of the municipal transport fleet, switching residential heating from coal to natural gas, and extinguishing the sanitary landfill near Bishkek that had burned for decades. Chyngyzbek Abdymalik Uulu, an atmospheric air specialist at the Kyrgyz Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, told Birinchi Radio that the primary sources of air pollution in Bishkek were low-quality coal, exhaust gases from motor transport, and the burning of municipal solid waste at the city landfill. The official says that, in large part, the air quality has improved due to the decreasing number of minibuses on Bishkek streets. Over the past 30 years, "markhrutka" minibuses — mainly aged Mercedes minivans — have been the primary type of municipal transport in Bishkek, vastly surpassing in number the limited fleet of large buses and trolleybuses. Running on diesel, these old marshrutkas spew harmful gases into the atmosphere and congest city traffic, since they stop anywhere on demand. Abdymalik Uulu said more than 3,000 minibuses ran in the capital until 2022. After their number was reduced over the last two years, diesel fuel consumption decreased by 100 tons daily. The Bishkek municipality has now removed the minibuses from the central part of the city and replaced them with large buses running on liquefied natural gas. In 2023, Bishkek purchased a thousand large buses from China, which have been arriving in the capital city in batches over the past year. Today, the municipal fleet has 1,200 buses. In addition, by the end of 2024, the city will receive 100 12-meter-long buses, and 120 electric buses will arrive in the second quarter of 2025. Both officials and analysts agree that renewing the municipal transport fleet will improve the air quality in Bishkek. Abdymalik Uulu added that gasification is another reason for the improved air quality. To date, about 20,000 households have been connected to natural gas networks, which has decreased coal burning by 58,000 tons. Also, he said, all of Bishkek’s 74 large boiler houses that used to burn large amounts of coal daily have now been converted to electricity and natural gas. Finally, the Bishkek sanitary landfill, which burned for decades and released large volumes of harmful emissions, has been completely extinguished.