Why do we work in Kyrgyzstan? Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries in the world. In the ranking of healthcare systems, Switzerland is in 10th place, while Kyrgyzstan is 70th. Per capita gross domestic product is 50 times higher in Switzerland than in Kyrgyzstan. So we want to give something back to the poorest in the world. In addition, Kyrgyzstan has faced enormous economic challenges since the collapse of the Soviet Union and is still in dire need of international aid. Children who suffer from a lack of medical care and difficult living conditions are particularly affected. In addition, there is an exceptionally high proportion of children born with cleft lips and palates. In no other country are these deformities so common.
More than 500 children are born every year in Kyrgyzstan with cleft lips and palates – ten times more than in Switzerland. The deformity occurs as the embryo develops, with parts of the mouth area not forming normally. When a delegation from the Board of Trustees travelled to Kyrgyzstan in 2006, it quickly became clear to us that we needed to take action. Since then, we have been working specifically to give these children new prospects by providing sustainable medical care. Other birth defects, such as spina bifida, are also much more common in Kyrgyzstan than in Switzerland. It is also much more likely than in Switzerland that small children will die from spina bifida in Kyrgyzstan. For some years now, we have made it our goal to provide support in this area as well.
CLP project Osh
After the success of the children’s hospital in Bishkek, two oral surgeons from the south of Kyrgyzstan approached us in 2013. They asked us to build another treatment centre in Osh. This was a request we were more than happy to fulfil. The mountain range that divides the country makes it difficult for many families to access medical care. With the clinic in Osh, we can now also provide professional treatment in the south ofthe country without patients having to embark on a long journey. In 2014, we opened the new operating room in the regional clinic and expanded it into a fully equipped treatment centre. Since then, we have continuously invested in upgrading the equipment and training the medical team. A milestone in 2016 was the installation of a large digital X-ray machine, which is now used every day. Dr. Marcel Frei, a specialist in orthodontics (CH), is dedicated to training local dentists, while his wife Yvonne Frei, a dental hygienist, trains assistants in practical hygiene so that the local staff can provide sustainable and high-quality treatment. Today, the clinic in Osh is an independent, well-functioning institution. It allows us to provide the best care for children in southern Kyrgyzstan. We will continue to provide support with training, new equipment and other urgently needed resources.
CLP project Bishkek
In Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, over a number of years we have built up an interdisciplinary treatment centre for children with cleft lips and palates in a large children’s hospital. Today it
is a fully equipped, independently functioning centre: a local team of doctors treat children with cleft lips and palates in line with the latest Europeanstandards. The affected children are operated on as early as their first year of life, examined in the ENT department and, if necessary, treated under the surgical microscope. Only a few older children will have surgery later in life. The centre is fully equipped with its own patient reception, three fully equipped treatment rooms, an orthodontic laboratory and an X-ray facility. As a result, the specialists on site can now perform every stage of the cleft treatment themselves. Now that we have successfully set up this project, they no longer need our support there. We are proud that we have been able to establish the centre on a sustainable basis. In this way, children in Kyrgyzstan will continue to receive the best possible care in the future.
Osh children’s hospital
We have been involved with a large children’s hospital in Osh since 2023. Here we have encountered unimaginable suffering. There are many children born with deformities and their families are completely left on their own. They do not receive the medical care they need, the standards of hygiene are precarious and those affected often lack hope. Our mission is clear: in the coming years, we want to help as many of these children as possible. Too often preventable infections, a lack of equipment and insufficient medical knowledge lead to tragic outcomes. This just can’t be. By providing financial support and contributing our medical team’s many years of expertise, we can make a big difference. We are determined to improve and, in many cases, even save the lives of these children. Together, we give hope where it is most needed.