A mother's journey
In autumn 2024, at a rehabilitation centre in Kochkor-Ata, Jalal-Abad region, Mayram recounted her journey with her one-year-old daughter, Aida. Living in a remote mountain village, Mayram faced significant challenges in understanding and managing Aida's condition.
When Aida was two months old, she was diagnosed with severe jaundice during a vaccination visit. The family couldn't afford to travel to Osh or Bishkek for a specialist consultation. As Aida grew, it became evident she was different from other children, unable to sit up and with weak leg movements. At four months old, a neurologist diagnosed her with cerebral palsy, a consequence of untreated jaundice.
Mayram had a heart-wrenching question: “If we had found a way to take Aida to the city at two months old, could we have prevented this?” This highlights the critical need for accessible health care. In 2025, telemedicine will be introduced at the level of the family doctor service in her area, enabling remote consultations and adjustments to treatment.
The health-care landscape in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous country in Central Asia, has many hard-to-reach areas. According to the Ministry of Health, while 87 per cent of medical specialist positions are filled in the country, most work in major cities. In rural areas, staffing levels are half those of urban areas, forcing women with newborns or children to travel over 100 kilometres for qualified care. Early detection of symptoms and timely medical consultations can significantly accelerate children's development.
Telemedicine: A lifeline for remote areas
Since 2021, UNICEF has been implementing a pilot telemedicine programme in Suzak in the Jalal-Abad region and in three other regions. Nurses are responsible for 10-20 new mothers each, with one doctor serving up to 12,000 people. Due to staff shortages, they see up to 60 patients a day, spending no more than 30 minutes with each.
Within the pilot model, each doctor in Suzak now has a tablet to collect data about patients during children’s examination and, if needed, to send a request for a consultation to a specialist without the need of the patient to travel to Osh or Bishkek. Doctors fill out patient cards, take photos and videos if required, and initiate the process of joint consultation of patient, with documented guidance from a specialist at secondary or tertiary health-care level.
This approach is a lifesaver for many families, especially those far from the capital or limited in resources. Telemedicine allows for quick access to qualified consultations, which is crucial for timely decision-making. In cases where a specialist needs to examine the patient in person, the family is referred to the city.
@UNICEF/Tynchtyk Nurbekov, 2024
Impact and future plans
Elmira Ibragimova, a neonatologist at the Osh Interregional Children's Clinical Hospital, consults family doctors at pilot primary healthcare facilities. She notes that the TeleMed.KG platform enhances the capacity and knowledge of primary health-care workers and is a great instrument for increasing mothers’ awareness and skills on appropriate childcare practices.
“In my practice, I encounter several conditions that can be managed at different levels. Some mild forms of neonatal jaundice can be resolved at home with video consultations. For cases requiring urgent intervention, I request immediate referral to our clinic. The number of consultation requests for neonatal jaundice has significantly decreased, mainly from remote areas, as family doctors have gained experience in managing mild cases,” says Elmira.
In 2024, the joint programme "Bridging the Digital Health Divide" was launched under the strategic leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan. UN agencies—WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF—are leading the implementation of the programme supported by the Joint SDG Fund.
The funds will allow expansion of the reach of the telemedicine project and support more hard-to-reach districts such as Kochkor-Ata, where Mayram is from. By the end of 2025, Kyrgyzstan will cover six additional remote areas with telemedicine, meaning that 10 hard-to-reach areas will be covered overall. Each consultation gives a child the chance to overcome the risk of developing severe diseases.
Telemedicine at the primary healthcare level has begun to be implemented in 4 districts of the country. Already, 904 children have received consultations. More than 40% of these consultations were regarding prolonged jaundice in infants. Thanks to the recommendations provided, these cases were successfully resolved.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
