Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries in the WHO European Region. Agriculture is the main source of income for the predominantly rural population. Climate change is already causing temperature increase and precipitation decrease, leading to decrease of snow cover, glacier melt and lake outburst floods, and lack of water for irrigation and human consumption.
Current and projected health effects include mortality and injuries from heat, floods and wildfires, changes in infectious and vectorborne disease patterns, poor nutrition from decreasing food yields and loss of livelihoods.
Project country-specific activities to protect health from climate change
- Assess health impact, vulnerability and health system adaptation
- Develop a national health adaptation strategy
- Strengthen public health services, with materials added to curricula and post-graduate training
- Pilot energy-efficient health services in areas vulnerable to interruption in energy supply through introduction of solar panels
- Health promotion and education campaign on impact of climate change on health, at national and local levels. Community initiatives to protect health include tree planting in rural areas to help reduce the impact of flooding, and to create green places in cities providing shelter during heat-waves.
