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JFPR Grants Signing Ceremony

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will boost the preparedness of the Kyrgyz Republic to cope with natural disasters, and help the country reduce the neonatal mortality.

Today the Finance Minister, Mr. Bolot Abildaev, on behalf of the Kyrgyz Republic signed Letters of Agreement for (i) Reducing Vulnerability of the Poor to Natural Disasters [ PDF ] , and (ii) Reducing the Neonatal Mortality [ PDF ] projects.

Country Director of the Kyrgyz Resident Mission, Mr. M. Ashraf Malik, Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Tsunozaki Toshio, attended the signing ceremony, held at the Ministry of Finance.

Both grants, $1 million each, come from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan.

The first project will help national and local authorities reduce the vulnerability of the country's poor to frequently occurring natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, mudslides, and avalanches.

The project will specifically target improved natural disaster monitoring, management, preparedness, and response in the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situations and among oblast authorities. A mechanism for incorporation of natural disaster issues into the fiscal planning process, national development plans, and donors' assistance strategies will be developed and tested.

It will also strengthen the Government in dealing with relocation of the poor from disaster-prone areas. Resettlement/relocation plans will be prepared in accordance with ADB social safeguards and principles, and tested by national nongovernment organizations at the grassroots level.

The second project is targeted at reducing the neonatal mortality in four poorest districts in Osh oblast.

Activities under the grant aim to improve the capacity of primary and first referral health care by providing refresher training to health workers and introducing best practices in antenatal, perinatal, and neonatal care.

The project is also targeted at improving maternal health care and knowledge and practice on maternal health, especially maternal nutrition, through information, education and communication campaign with involvement of the mass media and various stakeholders (women of reproductive age, communities, village authorities, NGOs and health care workers).

Within the project, a study on affordability and accessibility of iron supplements will be conducted and an iron supplementation program will be developed and tested.

The Asian Development Bank is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 63 members, with 45 from the region. In 2003, it approved loans and technical assistance worth US$6.1 billion and US$176.5 million, respectively.