Project overview:

The COVID-19 outbreak in Kyrgyzstan has revealed vast gaps in health, economic, social, governance and political fronts - that require the massive mobilization of internal and external resources. Gaps in the implementation of infection control by the healthcare system are reflected in the high rate of COVID-19 cases among health professionals (22% of overall cases). There is continued demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for tuberculosis (TB) doctors and nurses at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level as they are one of the most vulnerable groups among the health care workers with a significant percentage of already confirmed COVID-19 cases. There are several risk factors that could stimulate the conflict potential in COVID-19-affected areas, especially in the border areas and communities. These factors range from resource constraints to domestic violence, and from the spread of fake news to the abuse of emergency powers granted to local authorities and police. Social and economic systems have been heavily affected by healthcare measures.

UNDP Kyrgyzstan is launching an integrated and human-centered COVID-19 response with the financial support of the Government of Japan. This project’s interventions are a fundamental component of part of a broader Country Office response offer.  Actions proposed have been closely coordinated with the Government of Kyrgyzstan, and are designed to fill existing gaps, or increase effectiveness of interventions being undertaken by UNDP or other stakeholders. They also present an opportunity to build an initial platform to help leverage additional resources to scale up interventions and generate a greater long-term impact. The project is fully in line with UNDP COVID-19 Response Policy and Programme Offer and directly linked with the regional UNDP COVID-19 programme offer and will complement the efforts of government and other development partners.  Targeting of interventions will also benefit from data currently being collected by UNDP with ADB, through an on-going Socio-Economic Impact Assessment.  This data can help inform some of the specifics of the interventions (focus on geography, sub-sectors, etc.).  The project aims to contribute to three key outputs namely:

• Health systems strengthening to respond to COVID-19
• Inclusive and multi-sectoral crisis management and responses
• Addressing the Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19

Digital and innovative solutions: The project will use digital and innovative solutions suitable for the local context (e.g. Artificial Intelligence to help analyse and link the workers and employers, online training tools and social media marketing (SMM) to help reach the targeted populations, etc).

Alignment with Rapid Response Facility (RRF): These funds are in full alignment with UNDP’s initial Rapid Response Facility interventions. Some of these activities are designed as an opportunity to build an initial platform to help leverage additional resources to scale up interventions and sustain greater impact.

Expected results:

• 3,000 medical personnel will receive personal protective equipment at more than 1,200 healthcare facilities in Kyrgyzstan’s provinces
• 32,256 pcs. of FPP2 respirators procured
• 600 medical professionals trained on health waste management (HWM) procedures
• 42 healthcare facilities (32 hospital + 10 mobile units) will implement HWM and apply its standard operating procedures (SOP)
• 5 one-stop-shop (community-based legal aid clinics) trained to provide legal aid to ordinary citizens
• 5 one-stop-shop legal aid clinics receive computer equipment
• at least 1,200 people reached out in border social-cohesion initiatives
• 150 of small grants issued to support local development plans  
• at least 150 people received legal aid and accompanied
• 6 local communities covered by the data collection system (DCS) and 30 actors trained
• 1 national level DCS integrated into existing municipal level network
• 40% of people received legal aid are women/girls                                  
• 1 online database (employment + training for those lost their jobs due to effects of COVID-19) created/upgraded
• 3,000 individuals registered at the Online Database
• at least 10% of them matched with employers
• 1,000 enrolled in online training programs, including youth
• 4 MSMEs supported
• 50 MSMEs supported indirectly through all the above activities.
  
  

Status: Active

Start date: June 2020

Projected end date: 31 March 2021

Geographic coverage: Kyrgyzstan

Subject area: Sustainable economic growth, peacebuilding, and emergency response

Project Coordinator: Eldiyar Seitkaziev

Partners: The Ministry of Health, State Agency on Local Self-government and Inter-ethnic Relations (GAMSUMO), Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Labour and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Funding Source: The Government of Japan

Budget: USD 1,244,571