The human perspective on health care reform: coping with diabetes in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Kyrgyzstan is a small mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy; it gained independence with the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. For a significant sector of the Kyrgyzstani population, economic difficulties at national level translate into high unemployment and widespread impoverishment. Kyrgyzstan inherited an extensive but basic health-care system, with a functioning – albeit fragmented – structure for managing chronic diseases. The authors of this article report on the findings of a rapid appraisal study which uses the St Vincent Declaration as a gold standard to assess the performance of diabetes care in Kyrgyzstan