The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic announces the start of the republican campaign "Be Responsible!" targeting men aged 18 and above to identify risk factors that can lead to noncommunicable diseases, The Embassy of Switzerland in Kyrgyzstan reported.
In order to participate in the action, men are encouraged to visit primary health care providers (Family Medicine Centers, Centers for General Practitioners, Groups of Family Practitioners and Feldsher-Midwife Points) for medical consultations - according to their place of residence.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic, slowly progressing diseases mostly due to individual behavioral factors. These include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, lung diseases, and diabetes. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2023, cardiovascular diseases became the reason for 8,559 of deaths among adult male population in the country. Common preventable risk factors for NCDs are unhealthy diet (in particular, high salt intake, insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables), tobacco use and alcohol abuse, as well as insufficient physical activity.
During the action in 2024, more than 680 000 men visited primary healthcare facilities across the country. Among them over 127 000 (19%) were identified as having different risks of developing NCDs. Based on the results of routine work with identified males, 5200 men were newly registered with hypertension and 400 with diabetes type 2.
In 2019, the health campaign was conducted for the first time in the framework of the Swiss funded project “Effective management and prevention of noncommunicable diseases in Kyrgyzstan”. Now this campaign taken over by the Ministry of Health and has been organizing every year.
The Swiss project “Effective Management and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases in Kyrgyzstan”, financed by the Swiss Government, helps to improve the health and wellbeing of the Kyrgyz population through equitable access to quality primary care services and the promotion of healthier lifestyles. The project is implemented countrywide.