Page 24 - GHES-2-4

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
OAT in Central Asia: Kyrgyz Republic

Table 1. Timeline for key legislative and policy related to methadone
Year Policy change Activities OAT Census Source
(Sites)
1998 Order 66 Establishes regulation of narcotics. 0 (0) (About Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and
Methadone remains on the list of Precursors, 1998; On Amendments to the Resolution
controlled narcotic substances as of Government of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Narcotic
2019. Clarifies that addiction is a disease, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Precursors
framing people who use opioids as Subject to Control in the Kyrgyz Republic” Dated
patients instead of criminals. 9 November 2007 No. 543, 2018)
1999 Order 60 Establishes citizens’ right to quality 0 (0) (On Psychiatric Care and Guarantees of Citizens’
mental health care, including treatment Rights in the Provision of Psychiatric Care, 1999)
for substance use.
2001 Orders 41, 71 Approves and launches the first OAT 50 (1) (On Amendments to Order No. 71 of 2001 March
site in Bishkek for HIV prevention. Sets 13 on the Conditions and Procedure for Substitution
conditions for program entry, such as Therapy for Persons with Drug Dependence in
two prior hospitalizations for OUD, no the Kyrgyz Republic, 2002; Program “Methadone
polysubstance use, and the prospective Substitution Therapy in Bishkek”, 2001)
participant’s agreement not to leave the
city for at least a year.
2002 Order 17 Opened the second OAT site in Osh and 50 (2) (On Amendments to Order No. 71 of 2001 March
includes provisions for future program 13 on the Conditions and Procedure for Substitution
expansion in terms of numbers and sites. Therapy for Persons with Drug Dependence in the
Kyrgyz Republic, 2002)
2005 Orders 6, 82, 149 Establishes health-care protections for 100 (2) (On HIV/AIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic, 2005; On
PWH. Laws allow law enforcement to the Prevention of Offences in the Kyrgyz Republic,
mandate the registration of dependent 2005; On the Protection of Citizens’ Health in the
persons, linking substance use treatment Kyrgyz Republic, 2005; Trends and Events in Harm
for PWH and PWID. Reduction in 2005: Countries with Predominantly
Injection-Driven HIV Epidemics, 2006)
2006 Order 498, 759 Establishes a State Program for the 100 (2) (On the Extension of the State Program for Prevention
Prevention of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, of HIV/AIDS Epidemic and Its Socio-Economic
supporting OAT expansion and allowing Consequences in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2006-2010
OAT introduction in prisons. Methadone until 2012, 2011)
is added to the essential medicines list in
the Kyrgyz Republic, despite being on a
list of dangerous drugs subject to national
control.
2007-2008 Orders 15, 56 Further expands the methadone program 133 (16) (On Expanding the Program of Substitution
by creating additional sites, including the Maintenance Therapy with Methadone for Opioid
first prison-based sites. Dependence in the Territory of Bishkek and Chui
Region, 2011; On the Expansion of the Methadone
Substitution Treatment Program in the Branches of the
Organizations of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz
Republic, 2007)
2010 Order 494, Order Permits a naloxone program for overdose 500 (20) (Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic
497 prevention. The first formal methadone and Republican Narcology Center, 2015; On
clinical protocol is developed, requiring the Implementation of the Project GLO J71/
daily clinic attendance with strict OFID-UNODC, 2010)
guidelines.
2012 Order 703 Develop official clinical guidelines for 1013 (20) (Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and
OUD treatment, including methadone. Republican Narcology Center, 2017)
2014 Orders 91-r and 54 Order 91-r prohibits arbitrary detentions 1227 (20) (Matieva et al., 2015; On Approval of the
and searches of people who use drugs. Anti-Drug Program, 2014; On Approval of the
Order 54 introduces an anti-drug Fifth National Report of the Kyrgyz Republic on
program that includes OAT as a modality the Implementation of the International Covenant
for secondary HIV prevention. on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from
2012 to 2019 Years, 2021)
(Cont’d...)

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2536