The mountainous region of Talas in northern Kyrgyzstan is at a high risk of infectious disease outbreaks due to people living in close proximity to animals, and due to healthcare access challenges.
The mountainous region of Talas in northern Kyrgyzstan is at a high risk of infectious disease outbreaks due to people living in close proximity to animals, and due to healthcare access challenges.
The mountainous region of Talas in northern Kyrgyzstan is at a high risk of infectious disease outbreaks due to people living in close proximity to animals, and due to healthcare access challenges.
Photo: Yulia Bilenko/IFRC
In the mountainous region of Talas, northern Kyrgyzstan, Red Crescent volunteers are leading the way to detect disease outbreaks early and keep their communities healthy and safe.
The Talas region in northern Kyrgyzstan is known for its striking geography, made up of imposing mountains, impressive gorges and wild landscapes. It’s one of the most sparsely populated parts of the country, and people here largely rely on farming and agriculture for their livelihoods.
Living and working in close proximity to livestock, many of which are not vaccinated against diseases due to the high costs, puts communities in Talas at an elevated risk of zoonotic diseases—diseases that can pass from animals to humans.
In a bid to keep people in Talas safe and healthy, the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan (RCSK) is working hard to educate communities about different animal and human disease risks and introduce community-based surveillance (CBS) to detect and report potential outbreaks early to enable a rapid response.
What is community-based surveillance?
Community-based surveillance is the systematic detection and reporting of unusual health events within a community, by community members.
It’s important in a rural and mountainous region like Talas, where people often have to travel long distances to access health services. If a disease outbreak were to occur and go undetected in Talas, it has the potential to spread and cause huge damage before health or veterinary authorities even have a chance to respond.
Kyrgyz Red Crescent volunteers take part in a 3-day community-based surveillance training in May 2024 to learn how to recognize signs of different diseases and quickly report them to local health and veterinary authorities.
Kyrgyz Red Crescent volunteers take part in a 3-day community-based surveillance training in May 2024 to learn how to recognize signs of different diseases and quickly report them to local health and veterinary authorities.
Kyrgyz Red Crescent volunteers take part in a 3-day community-based surveillance training in May 2024 to learn how to recognize signs of different diseases and quickly report them to local health and veterinary authorities.
Photo: Yulia Bilenko/IFRC
Through the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union, the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent began implementing community-based surveillance in Talas in 2024 with support from IFRC. It’s the first agency in the country to use this approach to contribute to national disease surveillance.
“We have a memorandum with the State health and veterinary authorities that helps us implement community-based surveillance (CBS),” explains Gulnura Abdumanapova, Health Coordinator with Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent
“We’ve trained 62 Red Crescent volunteers to recognize signs of the five most widely spread diseases in the area. Three diseases in humans: measles, acute respiratory infection and Hepatitis A. And two zoonotic diseases: anthrax and rabies. In addition, volunteers report any unusual animal deaths they detect.”
“If volunteers see something unusual whilst out conducting risk communication activities within their communities, they send an SMS alert to their supervisor. Then the case is reported to the nearest medical or veterinary centre, at which point a doctor or veterinarian comes out to investigate. If volunteers don’t notice anything during their regular visits, they also send what’s called a ‘zero report’ via SMS. This confirms that the situation is normal and no risk is detected,” adds Gulnura.
Since community-based surveillance was introduced in Talas in June 2024, seven alerts from trained Red Crescent volunteers have so far been escalated to health authorities for investigation, resulting in the confirmation and quick response to five cases of acute respiratory infections, one case of Hepatitis A and one unusual animal death.
Volunteers from the community, protecting the community
Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent volunteers are well-placed to conduct community-based surveillance in Talas because they come from the communities they serve—meaning they understand the local health context and challenges, are always present, and are trusted by their neighbours and peers.
The volunteers trained in community-based surveillance were already doing important work in their communities to raise awareness about different disease risks and the steps people can take to reduce them—such as following proper hygiene measures, immunizing their children, and vaccinating their animals whenever they have the financial means.
Now volunteers are also encouraging people to inform them whenever they experience unusual health symptoms or notice anything unusual about their pets’ or livestock’s’ health, so they can check the signs, report via community-based surveillance, and make sure people get help quickly.
A man guides his horses along a road in Talas, Kyrgyzstan - a common sight in this region where horses are an important part of the local economy and identity.
A man guides his horses along a road in Talas, Kyrgyzstan - a common sight in this region where horses are an important part of the local economy and identity.
A man guides his horses along a road in Talas, Kyrgyzstan - a common sight in this region where horses are an important part of the local economy and identity.
Photo: Yulia Bilenko/IFRC
Keeping kids healthy
As well as introducing community-based surveillance and raising community awareness about infectious diseases, last year Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent also teamed up with local health authorities to run screening activities in Talas to check schoolchildren for signs of two zoonotic parasitic diseases.
“The aim of the ultrasound screening program is to find and prevent echinococcosis and alveococcosis, two diseases that can be spread to humans by pets or wild animals. Children are vulnerable because they often play outside with animals without understanding it can be dangerous,” explains Elnura Turdukulova, Field Officer in the Talas Regional Branch of Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent.
Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent staff and volunteers team up with local health authorities to conduct ultrasounds on pupils at a school in Talas, Kyrgyzstan, to check for signs of parasitic diseases.
Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent staff and volunteers team up with local health authorities to conduct ultrasounds on pupils at a school in Talas, Kyrgyzstan, to check for signs of parasitic diseases.
Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent staff and volunteers team up with local health authorities to conduct ultrasounds on pupils at a school in Talas, Kyrgyzstan, to check for signs of parasitic diseases.
Photo: Yulia Bilenko/IFRC
“We chose to conduct this work in Talas because the region previously experienced a deadly case. The parasites spread in the liver, so doctors check the liver first. One of our checkups resulted in the timely identification of disease in one of the pupils”, continues Elnura.
The children who were screened received small presents for their courage during the ultrasound. They also took part in fun educational sessions with staff from Kygyzstan Red Crescent and local health authorities to learn about different disease risks and why they need to be especially careful around animals.
Schoolchildren in Talas take part in an educational session about infectious disease risks led by Kyrgyz Red Crescent medical staff so they know how to keep themselves safe.
Schoolchildren in Talas take part in an educational session about infectious disease risks led by Kyrgyz Red Crescent medical staff so they know how to keep themselves safe.
Schoolchildren in Talas take part in an educational session about infectious disease risks led by Kyrgyz Red Crescent medical staff so they know how to keep themselves safe.
Photo: Yulia Bilenko/IFRC
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The activities outlined above were made possible thanks to the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union—an innovative, multi-year partnership between the IFRC, member National Societies and the EU to help communities worldwide reduce their risks and be better prepared for disasters and health emergencies.