Kyrgyzstan

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On 7 December 2011, the Kyrgyzstan joined the SUN Movement with a letter of commitment from Mr. S. T. Abdikarimov, the Deputy Minister of Health. At the time, Kyrgyzstan had established the Food Security Council, a consultative body formed by the Government to make decisions regarding the stable and uninterrupted provision of food and measures aimed at improved food quality. The co-chairs were the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Internal Affairs and the council included representation from a broad range of government ministries.

Progress

Bringing people together

79% 2019

Bringing people together

Coherent policy and legal framework

63% 2019

Coherent policy and legal framework

Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework

69% 2019

Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework

Financial tracking and resource mobilization

67% 2019

Financial tracking and resource mobilization

TOTAL

70% 2019

TOTAL

More than USD 27 billion committed to fight malnutrition at nutrition summit

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Central and South Asia launch SUN Movement Strategy for 2021-2025

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Kyrgyzstan: on a mission to protect breastfeeding

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The power of Civil Society: making nutrition voices heard in Kyrgyzstan

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Nutrition Can’t Wait – SUN Civil Society Asia Coordination Group launches advocacy campaign

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WFP’s hot meals programme in Kyrgyzstan expanded with support from Japan

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Nutrition and the butterfly effect

Blog written by Lauren Landis, Director of Nutrition at the UN World Food Programme and Member of the Executive Committee of the SUN Movement. Read the original text: English No matter who we are, all of us instinctively understand nutrition. We can feel the impact...

Civil Society Alliances and Nutrition – Opportunities & Challenges

The SUN Civil Society Network (SUNCSN) has as we speak 2.500 member organisations organised as National Civil Society Alliances (CSA) spread across 39 countries globally. In mid-July, I attended the SUN Civil Society Regional Learning Exchange – Asia co-organised by Global SUN CSN Secretariat and the Civil Society Alliance for Nutrition, Nepal (CSANN) in Kathmandu.

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Optimizing Primary School Meals in the Kyrgyz Republic

Since 2006, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic has implemented a national School Meals Programme for over 440,000 primary school children. In January 2013, the World Food Programme and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic launched a pilot intervention to improve the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the national School Meals Programme. While programmes in lower-middle-income or low-income contexts tend to be—at least partially—dependent on external funding, this effort has demonstrated at way to provide high quality, nutritious meals within the limits of the available national state resources, in hygienic conditions, and with strong community participation.

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Nutrition situation

11.8%

Under Five Stunting

2%

Under Five Wasting

6.9%

Under Five Overweight

45.6%

0-5 Months Exclusive Breastfeeding

36.2%

Woman Anaemia 15-49 years

15%

Adolescent Overweight Male

15.6%

Adolescent Overweight Female

34.4%

Adult Overweight Male

30.9%

Adult Overweight Female

14.6%

Adult Obesity Male

19.5%

Adult Obesity Female

9.9%

Adult Diabetes Male

10.8%

Adult Diabetes Female

Nutrition Data Definitions

Strategic objectives

Kyrgyzstan’s multi-sectoral platform (MSP) has five autonomous networks in place, with leaders appointed in 2015-2016. Additionally, the Parliamentarian Network, established in 2016, demon strates political commitment to scale up nutrition in Kyrgyzstan. On 20 June 2016, the MSP was formalised, by virtue of a memorandum of understanding between the Networks. Further decentralisation of this platform, however, is needed. An Expert Group or Secretariat to serve as a coordination mechanism on food security and nutrition based at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration is in its final stages of development. An MSP website has been created, which is seen as useful for the exchange of information about ongoing SUN activities, complementing regular MSP consultations, working groups and other nutrition-related meetings.

Last updated: November 2017

2016

Following the formalisation of the Multi-Sectoral Platform (MSP), in October 2015 nutrition champions were appointed, including the First Lady, who leads the academia group. The Civil Society Alliance, the UN Network and the Business Network were established between 2014 and 2016. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Networks, including Parliamentarians, during the Forum on Food Security and Nutrition, held on 20 June 2016. The Food Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, the advisory body of the Government, chaired by the Vice Prime Minister, was established to make operational decisions on the stable provision of food and to improve nutrition in the country. It is planned to form a Secretariat on Food Security and Nutrition, to be based at the Ministry of
Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration.

Last updated: December 2016

2015

The Kyrgyz Republic has received the government’s commitment for nutrition at the highest level and has made significant progress in bringing different stakeholders together. Institutions such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration, the Kyrgyz Association of Salt Producers, Association of Millers, the Association of Village Health Committees as well as the National Centre on Mother and Child Health are currently working to improve nutrition amongst the population.
A multi-sectoral platform is yet to be institutionalised although development partners are working effectively together to develop coordination mechanisms in cooperation with other networks.

In comparison to the previous year, the participation of multiple stakeholders has increased significantly, in particular an increase in members from civil society and academia. Politicians at the executive level have been engaged and regional representatives are involved in the different processes. However, there is a need to decentralise the coordination structure to regional and provincial levels. The absence of an advocacy and communication strategy is a challenge if there is to be stronger progress in influencing relevant policy and decision makers to allocate resources for nutrition.

The Civil Society Network has been established, while efforts are underway to establish academia and business networks. The regulation for the Civil Society Alliance had been approved and a governing body elected. The Civil Society Alliance has accelerated its advocacy efforts and has brought together more than 40 non-commercial organisations and individuals across the country. The mapping of civil society and non-commercial organisations is in progress (65% completed).

Last updated: October 2015

An analysis of nutrition and food security-related programmes, strategies and policies is currently being undertaken. The draft 2017-2020 Strategy for the MSP–and accompanying action plan – is being finalised. Nutrition and food security has been incorporated into the 2018-2022 UN Development Assistance Framework, whilst a legislative proposal aiming at ensuring healthy eating was adopted by Parliament in January 2017 and signed by President Atambayev on 25 February 2017. This has led to the expansion of the Food Security and Nutrition Council’s mandate and name to also include nutrition.

Last updated: November 2017

2016

SUN Networks drafted and discussed the strategy for the Multi-Sectoral Platform, which will be finalised with the technical assistance of SUN Movement Secretariat. The Republic Health Promotion Centre has prepared a nutrition communication strategy. The Parliament has held a special session on flour fortification. An interagency working group has drafted a resolution on the “Implementation of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Flour Fortification”. UNICEF, UNFPA and the National Statistics Committee has undertaken a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey to assess undernutrition.

Last updated: December 2016

2015

Nutrition has been mainstreamed into multiple sectoral policies and programs including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Melioration and Ministry of Social Development. Analysis of existing strategies, policies and regulatory frameworks and mapping of programs and projects is ongoing in collaboration with stakeholders. An analysis of coordination mechanisms with business structures is being carried out.
Joint efforts of state authorities, international organisations and civil society has led to the adoption of Law # 54 on ‘Insertion of Amendments and Additions to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic ‘On Fortification of Baking Flour’ of March 12, 2015. A draft decree of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic ‘On Fortification of Baking Flour’ is being finalised. The State Program on Food Security and Nutrition that covers the four pillars of food security has been developed. One of the successes in advocacy efforts is the inclusion of nutrition into the Programme of Social Protection of the Kyrgyz Republic (2015-2017).
Last updated: October 2015

The costed 2015-2017 Food Security and Nutrition Programme, a detailed action plan, serves as Kyrgyzstan’s common results framework (CRF). After an online consultation looking at the Food Security and Nutrition Programme in action, concrete findings and recommendations were presented at a forum on food security and nutrition, held 6 December 2016, to ensure more efficient implementation and a stronger stakeholder engagement for its following phase (2018-2022). A monitoring and evaluation system aiming to routinely collect all nutrition-specific indicators is being developed.

Last updated: November 2017

2016

The Food Security and Nutrition Programme for 2015-17 and its operational plan were approved by a Government Decree in September 2015. A functional analysis of food security and nutrition coordination mechanisms was completed and presented during the Forum on Food Security and Nutrition in June 2016. WFP has prepared a Food Security Atlas, which contains measurable nutrition indicators. The planning process for the 2018-2022 Food Security and Nutrition Programme has been recently launched and will be aligned with the SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-20). A Kyrgyz case study will be presented at the Global Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Congress in October 2016.

Last updated: December 2016

2015

The Food Security and Nutrition Program is under consideration by the Government. Once endorsed, it will serve as the Common Results Framework (CRF). It outlines the responsibilities of sectors to implement priority nutrition interventions.
The Ministry of Health is implementing several nutritionspecific interventions which includes the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for children under 6 months, nutrition for pregnant and lactating women, promotion of salt iodisation and flour fortification. There is also room for improvement in growth monitoring by the Ministry of Health.

Legislation for nutrition is available but effective implementation is required.

The Kyrgyz Republic recognises that nutrition information systems need to be strengthened for more effective evidence-based programing.

Last updated: October 2015

The Food Security and Nutrition Programme funding gap of 44.7 per cent prevails. There is no long-term, flexible resource mobilisation strategy in the country, although different financially sustainable mechanisms for nutrition interventions are being developed, on, for instance, vitamin mineral micronutrient powder needs of children and iron supplement needs for pregnant women. Although state budget expenditures are reported on and donors track their allo- cations, there are no financial obligations from each stakeholder group. Since Kyrgyzstan joined the Eurasian Economic Community in 2014, the economic outlook of key food industry branches has significantly changed and a decrease in production levels and financing sustainability of planned interventions has been seen.

Last updated: November 2017

2016

Costing of the Food Security Programme was carried out in 2014-15 and, as a result, a financial gap of 44.7 per cent has been identified. Although there is a sectoral budget forecast for different nutrition and food security programmes, there is no long-term, sustainable resource mobilisation strategy in place. The Kyrgyz Republic participated in the SUN public financing workshop held in Bangkok in May 2016, and further analysis of the national budget for nutrition is in the pipeline. There is no consistent approach in preparing the budget and financing for activities of government agencies.

Last updated: December 2016

2015

The Food Security and Nutrition Program will serve as the road map for implementation of nutrition interventions, however, current resources for implementation are limited. The Program will primarily be funded through the state budget and complimented by external support.
Reports on state budget expenditures are available, however, regular financial and audit reports on nutrition related programs are not available. Funding for nutrition is not on the national priority agenda. To ensure sustainable funding for nutrition, a long-term resource mobilisation strategy in line with National Food Security & Nutrition Program is needed.
Last updated: October 2015