This support in the amount of 15 million som has been provided to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in response to COVID-19. In coordination with the Ministry of Health all personal protective equipment will be allocated for equipping medical mobile teams in Chui, Naryn and Osh regions of Kyrgyzstan.

The humanitarian aid consists of the following:

• Nitrile Examine Gloves – 100 boxes;
• Isolation Gowns – 3800;
• Coveralls – 3800;
• FFP2 Face Masks – 3700;
• Surgical Masks – 5000;
• Goggles – 3800;
• Face Shields – 3800.

Having access to quality personal protective equipment and knowing how to use it correctly, healthcare workers will be protected to continue providing essential services and not be at risk for their peers, patients, families or communities thereby decreasing human-to-human transmission. 

The Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic and UNFPA encourage citizens to follow all sanitary precautionary measures to help health facilities to reduce the burden.

Citizens of Naryn in the Kyrgyz Republic will enjoy improved wastewater services thanks to a joint €6.5 million investment by the EBRD, the Government of Switzerland and the European Union (EU) in the municipal water service infrastructure at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the critical importance of high standards of hygiene and sanitation.

The Naryn financing package will include a 15-year EBRD loan of €2 million, a grant for capital investment and technical assistance of up to €3.5 million from the Government of Switzerland and a €1 million investment grant from the EU.

It will help address the consequences of decades of underinvestment in the municipal water and wastewater systems. The project will support the rehabilitation and extension of the main sewers, the purchase of operational and maintenance equipment and the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Naryn.

This will improve the city wastewater infrastructure resilience to climate change and public health challenges, optimise operating costs of the municipal water utility and increase the amount of citizens with regular access to wastewater services from 10,000 to 39,000 residents by 2024.

It builds on the successfully implemented previous phase of the project financed by a €2 million EBRD loan combined with a €3.6 million Swiss Government grant and mainly aimed at urgent repairs and the extension of the drinking water supply system in Naryn.

In addition, technical assistance of €1 million will be provided by the Government of Switzerland to help the Naryn water company implement the project, improve corporate practices and set up a stakeholder participation programme.