Bishkek, Oct. 21, 2025 /Kabar/. National Institute of Public Health under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic plans to open a modern laboratory for detecting lead in blood, Kubanych Almerekov, a representative of EcoIs Bishkek LLC, told a press conference in Kabar news agency.
According to him, preparatory renovation work is currently underway in the institute's building. The laboratory will be equipped with the latest ICP-MS equipment, which allows for highly accurate determination of heavy metal levels in the body. Currently, there is not a single laboratory in Kyrgyzstan that can test blood for lead. Private laboratories send samples to Russia when necessary. Creating our own laboratory will solve this problem, he said.
Kubanych Almerekov also reported that the project is being financed by the Japanese Takeda international pharmaceutical company. ICP-MS equipment is expensive, costing approximately $800,000, noted Zharkynbek Kasymbekov, Director of the National Institute of Public Health under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic.
According to Almerekov, the study of lead levels in children's blood is being conducted as part of an international project being implemented in five countries: Colombia, Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, and India. The first stage has already been completed, and the second is currently being planned, he explained.