In Kyrgyzstan, the noncommunicable diseases are the main cause of disability, morbidity, and premature mortality. According to the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2020, cardiovascular diseases were a major reason of mortality, making up 52% of all death cases in the country, while cancer occupied second place (10.8%) followed by respiratory diseases (6.9%). Unhealthy diet (in particular, high salt intake, insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables), tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and lack of physical activity are the most common preventable risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. 

Since 2018, the Swiss project called "Effective Management and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases in Kyrgyzstan" has been strengthening the primary health care system and promoting healthier lifestyle of people. To continue this support in Kyrgyzstan, the Swiss Government has allocated additional funding for more than CHF 5 million to phase II of the project. 

With the continued support of the Ministry of Health the work will be implemented by a consortium of organizations composed of Public Association "Healthy Future" (Kyrgyzstan), "GFA Consulting Group GmbH" (Germany), and "Euro Health Group" (Denmark).

During 4 years, the project will be covering Osh, Jalal-Abad, Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan as well as Osh and Bishkek cities. 

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, supported the home improvements through a 10-year-long partnership with Kyrgyz microfinance organizations. IFC helped the institutions develop an innovative lending product that combined a traditional micro-housing loan with construction-related support, including do-it-yourself home improvement videos, cost estimates for select home improvements, and discounts for quality construction materials. 

The initiative, called the Housing Microfinance Project in the Kyrgyz Republic, helped channel $44.1 million of private funds to 41,505 families, allowing them to construct new homes or renovate existing ones. An additional $15.7 million was channeled to 15,434 families, helping them improve the energy efficiency of their houses, saving them a combined $7.5 million in heating costs. Those 57,000 households were home to 192,000 people.

The project was implemented in partnership with the Swiss Government.

“Improvement of the population’s well-being is what the Swiss development program aspires to achieve in the Kyrgyz Republic,” said Dr. Olivier Bangerter, Swiss Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. “The housing microfinance project directly contributed to this aim as it reached low-income earners and helped them to fulfil their need of housing.”

Many low-income households struggle to secure loans in the Kyrgyz Republic, where banks are often hesitant to lend to people without substantial collateral. World Bank Group data shows that just 18 percent of people in the Kyrgyz Republic have access to credit while only a handful of lenders provide home improvement loans.

“Housing projects like this can deliver multiple benefits, such as encouraging home ownership, lifting consumption and investment, and, ultimately, helping drive economic growth and development,” said Cassandra Colbert, IFC's Senior Manager for Central Asia. “IFC’s collaboration with local financial institutions to promote housing micro-loans helped thousands of families build new homes or renovate existing ones while also bringing them security and a sense of ownership.”

The initiative is part of a broader IFC efforts to support private sector development in the Kyrgyz Republic and improve access to finance for low-income people.