Although Kyrgyzstan is among the countries with the highest prevalence of cervical and breast cancer, the lack of a national screening programme means that patients are often diagnosed at a late stage of the disease and consequently have limited treatment options.

In June 2022, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, we launched a women’s health project in Sokuluk district, close to the capital, Bishkek, where we aim to decentralise cancer prevention by integrating screening services into general healthcare facilities. Our team has trained nurses and midwives to carry out tasks such as visual cervical inspection and breast examination. During the year, we called on the health authorities to replicate this model of care in other parts of the country.

In September, the conflict along the disputed border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan escalated again. There were hundreds of casualties, and tens of thousands of people fled from the villages close to the border. MSF teams in Batken immediately responded by providing essential medical care and psychosocial counselling to displaced people. We also supported hospitals by donating medical supplies, surgical instruments, and conducting training on managing mass-casualty incidents.

In 2022, MSF completed a set of environmental health studies in former mining communities in Kadamjay district, in Batken, which revealed chronic exposure to heavy metals, such as arsenic and antimony. To mitigate exposure, our teams launched health promotion activities, and remediated contaminated soil in a sports stadium and two school yards. In addition, we advocated the implementation of public health measures to prevent and treat the effects of heavy metal pollution.