AKIPRESS.COM - The Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness Program – a collaborative effort to safeguard the health of Kyrgyzstani citizens – was launched on March 13. This joint initiative between the United States, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, and a consortium of other organizations is an investment in the country’s resilience against public health emergencies, the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek said.

The Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness Program will target seven key areas identified by the Kyrgyz Republic:

• Tracking and reducing antimicrobial resistance
• Monitoring zoonotic diseases (those transmissible between animals and humans)
• Strengthening national laboratory systems
• Disease surveillance
• Building capacity within the healthcare workforce
• Developing risk communication and community engagement strategies
• Bolstering health emergency management

The program is coordinated with the United Nation’s “One Health” approach, which links human, animal, and environmental health. This multi-sectoral strategy involves close collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, and Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision.

“The United States Government ranks global health security among its top five priorities. Today’s event marks the next chapter in our long collaboration for improving Kyrgyz health care. We worked side-by-side during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to do so in the pandemic recovery phase. We have made tremendous advancements in detecting and treating tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Many lives have been saved thanks to the collaborative efforts between our governments. With the timely launch of the National Action Plan for Health Security last year, the Kyrgyz Republic is taking a lead role to prepare its health systems for any future pandemics.” noted U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic Lesslie Viguerie.

“We are confident that with USAID funding this program will play a critical role in supporting key technical areas of the National Action Plan for Health Security. The implementation of the Global Health Security program in the Kyrgyz Republic will allow our country to create a more stable foundation for future response to threats in the field of public health,” noted the Deputy Minister of Health in the Kyrgyz Republic Bubuzhan Arykbaeva.

The United States has been collaborating with the Kyrgyz Republic since 1995 to strengthen health systems and public health outcomes for all Kyrgyzstanis.