U.S. Ambassador Pamela Spratlen and Deputy Minister of Health Marat Kaliev opened a seminar in Osh today to review the findings of the 2012 Kyrgyz Republic Demographic and Health Survey (2012 DHS) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Senior medical and public health professionals from Batken, Osh, and Jalal-Abad oblasts attended the seminar in Osh and discussed the implications of the DHS for their oblast programs and policies.
Since 1994, USAID has contributed almost 100 million dollars to improve public health in Kyrgyzstan by strengthening essential health care services including emergency obstetric care and antenatal care, increasing access to HIV and tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and supporting training to more than 10,000 primary care doctors and nurses in family medicine. “The 2012 survey results indicate that our collective efforts have led to great progress over the last 15 years,” commented Ambassador Spratlen.
This is the second DHS done in the Kyrgyz Republic. The first one was completed in 1997 also with USAID support. The 2012 survey included more than 8,000 households nationwide and collected information from 8,200 women and about 2,400 men age 15 to 49.
“These results are particularly important for child health care in Osh and Batken Oblasts,” Deputy Minister Kaliev said. About one in four children in Osh (26%) and Batken (23%) oblasts are stunted compared to 18% of children nationwide. Chronic malnutrition is a national problem, but children in Osh and Batken oblasts are more likely to suffer from chronic malnutrition than children in the rest of the Kyrgyz Republic. “Health professionals in Osh and Batken need to act on this information immediately,” he said.
The 2012 Kyrgyz Republic DHS was conducted by the National Statistical Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Additional support was provided by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys Program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health.
Read more about USAID Mission Kyrgyz Republic here:
