The United States is providing more than masks to Kyrgyzstan as we fight the coronavirus together. From high capacity oxygen concentrators to cutting edge epidemiological analysis software, we are providing more than $5 Million USD in support from USAID, CDC and the U.S. State Department.
Providing Kyrgyz Health Workers on the Front Lines the Tools They Need
Kyrgyz medical personnel battling COVID in hospitals and clinics are showing their courage every day. The United States stands behind these heroes as they save lives, providing them with assistance, including:
- Six high-output oxygen concentrators and 100 mobile oxygen concentrators from USAID for hospitals and medical offices throughout the country to help COVID-19 patients breathe.
- Help from USAID for the country’s tuberculosis testing laboratories to be able to test for COVID-19, and a new IT system that allows COVID-19 test results to be instantly shared with medical workers.
Delivering Equipment and Training for Kyrgyz Experts Directing the Battle against COVID
For decades, the United States has supported the development of Kyrgyzstan’s ability to fight infectious disease. Today Kyrgyz epidemiologists continue to receive modern equipment and cutting edge training from the CDC and USAID as they fight against COVID-19, including:
- Support for development and implementation of clinical protocols to prevent medical staff from being infected, and funding for a study on COVID-19 related risk factors for hospital staff.
- Urgently needed laboratory supplies and computer equipment, including the development and upgrade of epidemiologic surveillance software to help predict and respond to outbreaks.
Empowering Ordinary Kyrgyz Citizens to Fight COVID in Their Communities
We all have a role to play in stopping the COVID-19 pandemic, so the United States is supporting dozens of local Kyrgyz citizen initiatives to spread awareness and save lives, including:
- Medical Faceshield Crowdsourcing – Kyrgyz IVLP alumnus Timur Azizbek uulu, the Kyrgyz National COVID HQ, U.S. Embassy Bishkek American Center and Makerspace staff, and local volunteers joined forces to create a 3D printed Faceshield prototype and provide nearly 500 high quality facehsields to hospitals around the country.
- “Speak COVID in Kyrgyz” – Highschool FLEX Exchange alumna Altynai Ermenbaeva led this project, which translated 13 WHO posters on COVID prevention into Kyrgyz, providing them to major TV channels and online media so that ordinary people could get the information they need to defend themselves from the disease.
