Over 1 million dwellers of the Kyrgyz Republic capital Bishkek will benefit from upgraded wastewater infrastructure thanks to support from the EBRD, the government of Switzerland and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). An 11-kilometre long wastewater collector pipe, the construction of which was launched today, will connect households in the southern and western part of the city with the central sewerage network. It will enhance sanitation services, improve quality of life and secure long-term sustainability of this key municipal utility.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Alain Pilloux, EBRD Vice President, Zsuzsanna Hargitai, EBRD Managing Director for Central Asia, Olivier Bangerter, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic, Aibek Dzhunushaliev, Mayor of Bishkek City and Muradin Seidaliev, Director of the Bishkek Water company.

The construction of the wastewater collector pipe is the last component of a wider water and wastewater improvement effort to increase water supply, rehabilitate pipelines and renew the laboratory equipment for reliable water analysis in Bishkek. It is financed by an EBRD loan of €8 million to the Bishkek Water Company, supported by a €7.45 million grant from the Government of Switzerland and a US$ 1.5 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

Health managers are responsible for managing entire health facilities and coordinating the service delivery processes. The Center was established in 2019 in Bishkek to support their training. Switzerland has allocated more than 7 million soms for the renovation and equipment of the Center, including computers, projectors, and interactive whiteboards.

During his welcoming speech the Minister of Health thanked the Government of Switzerland for more than 20 years of support to the health sector in the form of technical, financial and humanitarian assistance. "We plan that this Resource Centre will work with interested partners to increase professional level of health managers," said Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliyev.

The health of the population and the quality of health services depend on the knowledge and skills of these managers; “our aim is that ordinary citizens are better served in the health system and this center will make a difference,” said the Swiss Ambassador Olivier Bangerter.

The Center will train health managers according to the needs for effective management they have identified. It will also offer an electronic archive on domestic and foreign best practices in health management and leadership skills.

The Center is created within the Swiss Health Management Strengthening Project, which has been working since August 2020 in cooperation with Euro Health Group (Denmark) and Public Fund “Health System Initiatives” (Kyrgyzstan).