Investing In People

Tuberculosis (TB) control is USAID’s number one health priority in Kyrgyzstan.  The 2009 data showed significant decreases in TB incidence and mortality related to TB.  TB incidence fell from 116 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 to 101 in 2009, and mortality has declined from 11 per 100,000 in 2005 to 8.7 in 2009.  Additionally, USAID has helped Kyrgyzstan design its health reform plans, including health finance reform, and has been supporting their implementation.  With USAID’s support, the country adopted a single-payer system and an institute of family medicine that includes over 700 centers staffed with specialists that USAID helped retrain.  

For eight years, USAID has supported the National Scholarship Test.  The test is used to select government scholarship recipients on the basis of merit and has served as a model for anti-corruption activities.  USAID also helps improve teacher training and student assessments, promotes teacher involvement in curriculum reform, and assists in reforming the education finance system.  Over 20 percent of the country’s primary school students have benefitted from this assistance.  Additionally, USAID provides student loan guarantees to enable students to access Kyrgyzstan’s better quality universities and vocational schools.