The event was organized by the project "Strengthening Voice and Accountability: Citizens’ Participation and Oversight of Budgetary Processes". This project is implemented by the Development Policy Institute and financed by the Swiss Government through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). It ensures participation of citizens in budgetary processes and strengthens the capacity of municipalities to improve citizens’ livelihoods.

Citizens participate in budgetary hearings organized by municipalities during which they identify and select priority problems. Municipalities then applied for grant support from the Swiss-funded project. The grants were awarded on a competitive basis to provide funding for municipalities to realize these community initiatives.

“I hope that citizens will continue to be involved in the budgetary processes at the local level, it is an important element of democracy, which strengthens accountability of local authorities towards citizens and enables an effective and efficient use of public resources,” - said Danielle Meuwly Monteleone, Deputy Head of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic. 

The competition for grant support covered all municipalities of the Osh and Naryn provinces, which are applying a participatory budgetary process model. The committee has selected 38 projects out of more than 120 applications. The committee consisted of the representatives of the President’s Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Finance, the State Agency for Local Self-Governance and Interethnic Relations, the Union of Local Self Governments and the Development Policy Institute.

Out of 38 initiatives, 20 (53%) will address pre-school and school education services; 11 (29%) will improve access to municipal services; 6 (16%) - recreation services for local community members; and 1 (2%) - access to information.

The list of winning municipalities is as follows:

The Swiss-funded project "Strengthening Voice and Accountability” has been working since 2011. Previously, it covered Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad and Chui provinces.

According to the data of the Center for e-Health of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, in 2016 the main causes of mortality were non-infectious diseases, in particular: cardiovascular (50.4%) and oncological (12.0%) diseases, followed by injuries and intoxication (8.4%) and respiratory problems (5.7%).

The project will enhance the capacities of the primary health care system to prevent, manage and treat non-communicable diseases.

Malnutrition (particularly high salt intake), tobacco, alcohol and lack of physical activity have become major risks for non-communicable diseases. The project will minimize risks of contracting such disease by promoting healthy lifestyles and improving access to quality primary health care services.

The Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has allocated more than CHF 4.3 million (about 300 million soms) to the project. The Ministry of Health will support the project by continuing to enhance the primary health care system.

A Consortium of organizations composed of “GFA Consulting Group” GmbH (Germany), “Euro Health Group” (Denmark) and Public Organization “Healthy Future” (Kyrgyzstan) will implement the Swiss funded project, with the support of WHO.

The first phase of the project, which will last until 2022, will be implemented in the Chui, Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces of Kyrgyzstan.