Bishkek – On 26 May, a Handover Ceremony of the medical equipment and vehicles within IOM Kyrgyzstan’s project "Enhancing Health and Border Management in Kyrgyzstan to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Communicable Diseases" funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) was held at the Hyatt Regency in Bishkek. The project is a part of KOICA's response mechanism known as the ABC program (Agenda for Building Resilience against COVID-19 through Development Cooperation), which falls under the Korea Government's ODA Korea: Building TRUST initiative. The project aimed to strengthen the capacity of the points of entry of the Kyrgyz Republic by providing necessary equipment and building the capacity of the staff of the sanitary quarantine points to respond effectively in an epidemiological emergency.

The meaningful cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Kyrgyz Republic through this project was highlighted and commended by H.E. Mr. Lee Wonjae, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Bakyt Dzhangaziev, Deputy Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Ryspek Sydygaliev, Head of the Center for State Sanitary and Epidemiological surveillance and Transport, and Mr. Zeynal Hajiyev, Chief of Mission of IOM-Kyrgyzstan.

"The control of infectious diseases at state border crossings is one of the shields of the public health system to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In accordance with the IOM Global COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and the Health, Border and Mobility Management framework (HBMM), the IOM Mission to the Kyrgyz Republic successfully implemented a national project aimed at improving health management at the borders, where the Center for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance on Transport of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic was the main project partner." - stated Zeynal Hajiyev, Chief of Mission of IOM-Kyrgyzstan in his opening remarks.

Within this project, 6 vehicles were procured to transport ill patients from remote border points to medical facilities and more than 200 pieces of medical equipment were procured to strengthen the capacity of sanitary quarantine points at the 12 border points of the Kyrgyz Republic.