Read the full capacity assessment report.
To analyze the capacity of the healthcare system of the Kyrgyz Republic to monitor the concentrations of lead and other heavy metals in blood, urine and other media and existing regulatory legal acts as well as to provide recommendations for changes. The study was conducted in coordination with international project experts and using questionnaires developed by them.
Analysis of the capacity of the healthcare system of the Kyrgyz Republic to monitor lead concentrations (Desk review report) was prepared for the project Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure. This report serves to justify the project and to inform decision-makers about the subsequent implementation of monitoring lead levels in children’s blood and determining priority actions to establish a sustainable monitoring, prevention, and treatment system for heavy metal poisoning, including lead.
Lead is a toxic element that even in small concentrations can have serious negative effects on human health, especially vulnerable groups such as children. Research indicates that exposure to lead can lead to developmental delays, reduced cognitive abilities, behavioral problems, and other adverse health outcomes (Lanphear et al., 2005; Canfield et al., 2003). However, despite the well-known risks associated with lead, many countries, including Kyrgyzstan, lack comprehensive monitoring and prevention programs for lead poisoning, particularly among children. This is due to insufficient data on the scale of the problem at the national level and a lack of awareness among the population and decision-makers about the importance and urgency of this issue.
Conducting this study will help fill the gaps in knowledge regarding current levels of lead in children’s blood in Kyrgyzstan and identify the main sources and pathways of lead exposure in children. The data obtained will serve as a basis for developing targeted public health programs aimed at reducing lead exposure and preventing its negative health consequences for children. This, in turn, will contribute to improving quality of life, reducing
healthcare costs, and enhancing public well-being.
To conduct monitoring of lead and other heavy metals concentrations in blood, urine, and other mediums, and to determine priority actions and effectively utilize existing resources, a situational analysis of the healthcare system’s potential in the Kyrgyz Republic was conducted.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as to the staff of centers and laboratories, including private ones, for their active support in conducting the assessment of the healthcare system’s potential in the Kyrgyz Republic for monitoring the concentration of lead and other heavy metals in blood.
The funder had no role in the capacity inventory design, data collection, analysis, and report preparation.
AUTHORS
- Ainash Sharshenova, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, International School of
- Medicine, International University of Kyrgyzstan
- Indira Zhakipova, Civil Society Association ECOIS-BISHKEK
- Kubanych Almerekov, Civil Society Association ECOIS-BISHKEK