In 2020, the people of the Kyrgyz Republic, like those of
many other countries, experienced the devastating effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic spread human
suffering, destabilized the economy and upended lives in
every city and village. In 2020, more than 81,000 cases of
COVID-19, including 1,360 deaths, were registered. As this
report is being published, the virus continues to claim lives
almost every day. The darkest days of the pandemic, that
saw the health system overwhelmed, medical personnel
exhausted beyond all limits, and official statistics for
deaths reached dozens per day in June-July 2020, may
have passed, but the pandemic is more than just a health
crisis. It has pushed many people deeper into poverty,
widened social inequality and exacerbated human rights
and gender issues.