The Kyrgyz Republic is a small, landlocked, mountainous country and the second poorest in Central Asia, with nearly a third of its population living below the poverty line. USAID partners with government, civil society and the private sector to improve governance, promote economic growth and enhance the quality of health care and education. 

USAID works to enhance the country’s parliamentary democracy by more deeply ingraining rule of law and respect for human rights and strengthening governance institutions including Parliament, the judiciary and key ministries. USAID fosters partnerships among civil society, government and the private sector, especially in advocacy, policy development and public service delivery. We have consistently supported media, contributing to the country having the highest level of media freedom in Central Asia.

Expanding economic opportunity is crucial for the Kyrgyz Republic to demonstrate the efficacy of its democratic governance system. With a focus on the country’s poorest regions, USAID partners with the public and private sectors to jumpstart promising economic sectors, build food security and increase small-holder farmer incomes through targeted agricultural assistance, and promote energy sector reform to meet growing demand. In the Kyrgyz Republic, USAID has supported the government in carrying out legal reforms that have helped drastically improve the country’s World Bank Doing Business ranking — to among the top five of 51 lower-middle income countries.  
 

USAID partners with the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis by improving the quality of diagnosis, care and treatment services, providing support and outreach to high-risk populations, training health workers, and developing policies. In education, USAID focuses on improving early grade reading in 60 percent of schools across the country and improving access to higher education by supporting corruption-free admission tests.