“Elderly people have become a vulnerable population group in Kyrgyzstan during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Nazira Artykova, WHO Representative in the country, marking the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October this year. “According to national statistics, there are 400 000 elderly citizens in Kyrgyzstan, 10 000 of whom need material and psychosocial assistance.”

Dr Artykova continued: “Older people have faced challenges as a result of increased isolation, including lack of physical contact, anxiety and fear; had problems accessing services and vital information; and faced shortages of food, medicine and protective equipment. Access to basic primary health care, long-term care and palliative care are not a privilege, but should be a basic human right”.

A new project to support older people during the pandemic

Roza Barymkulova is 71 and has been living in a nursing home for 6 years. Her average monthly pension is 5820 Kyrgyzstani som per month, which is equivalent to US$ 68 – nothing like enough to be able to meet her basic needs, such as paying for medicines.

Sadly, Roza’s situation is not uncommon in Kyrgyzstan, where a substantial number of older people are left to fend for themselves by their relatives and are now living in hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without care from their families, many are forced to live in nursing homes.

To support Roza and other older people during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new WHO project was initiated in June 2021 together with Resource Centre for the Elderly. In just over 3 months, more than 3600 older people have received food, masks and medical devices, as well as free counselling services. The project also ensures that elderly people with disabilities can access health-care facilities, are protected from domestic violence and are provided with social protection services at a local level across the country.

“We are confident that this project will go some way to alleviating many of the problems being faced by Kyrgyzstan’s older population as the pandemic continues,” concludes Dr Artykova.

Information fair at the Bishkek Nursing Home

Due to the pandemic, the International Day of Older Persons has become an opportunity for policy-makers and the community at large to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on older people and make health and social policy and planning inclusive of their needs.

The WHO Country Office in Kyrgyzstan in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Resource Centre for the Elderly organized a range of activities to mark the day. The main event took place on 30 September at the Bishkek Nursing Home. It aimed to highlight the impacts of an ageing population, to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent injuries, as well as to improve access to primary health care and social services for older people. The day also included a photo exhibition, poetry competitions and displays of useful information in the library.

Medical consultations were organized, with booths set up in which elderly people could have their blood sugar and blood pressure checked. Information materials on what older people can do to protect themselves from COVID-19 were distributed and WHO experts described the importance of vaccination for older people and how it can help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.