Kyrgyzstan

Project Name: Micronutrient Powder and Complementary Feeding Project

Start Date: July 2007

Background

In Kyrgyzstan, the national prevalence of growth stunting in children younger than  5 years of age is 13.7%; for some regions, the prevalence is as high as almost 30%.¹ Additional evidence shows that the prevalence of anemia is 50% or higher in children and approximately 38% in women. Preliminary qualitative research reported a very low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding. An indicator for good health is exclusive breastfeeding  for the first 6 months of life.² To address these problems, the country office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) collaborated with the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Health (MOH) to develop a community-based program to improve micronutrient status by improving nutrition through micronutrient powders (Gulazyk) and complementary feeding, as well as promotion of breastfeeding.

The CDC is assisting the Kyrgyzstan government and its partners in designing the project and the monitoring and evaluation system as well as in building capacity to carry out nutrition surveys. 

Purposes

• Implement a pilot version of a community-based nutrition program focused on improving:
  • Use of in-home fortificants, including education in the proper use of the micronutrient powder Gulazyk
  • Nutrition during pregnancy
  • Breastfeeding habits
• Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation system for the pilot program

Target Group(s)

• Children 6 to 24 months of age and their mothers and grandmothers
• Pregnant and lactating women and their families

Progress

• Representative nutrition surveys have been conducted in one Kyrgyzstan region in 2008 and 2010
• A report from the 2008 survey has been completed and gone through CDC clearance.  The data from the 2010 survey is being analyzed. And preliminary results show a significant reduction in micronutrient deficiencies due to use of Gulazyk
• A monitoring and evaluation plan has been developed and is being implemented
• A nationally representative survey was conducted in 2009 and the data is being analyzed

Future Plans

• Use results from the nationally representative nutrition survey to increase support for implementing the nutrition program at the national level.
• Scale-up to a second Oblast in 2011
• Use data collected from the pilot program monitoring system to modify the program for implementation at the national level

Partners

• Ministry of Health, Kyrgyzstan
• Swiss Red Cross
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

References

1. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006, Kyrgyz Republic. Final Report. National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic. United Nations Children's Fund. Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. Table NU.1: Child malnourishment; 2007.
2. Research Institute of Obstetrics and Pediatrics [Kyrgyz Republic] and Macro International Inc. Kyrgyz Republic Demographic and Health Survey, 1997. Calverton, Maryland: Research Institute of Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and Macro International Inc.; 1998.

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