More Than a Diagnosis

Zhanyl Akbaeva transitioned into medical and social expertise from practical medicine, where she worked as a nephrologist. Even then, she viewed this work not merely as an assessment of health, but as a way to help individuals realize their rights.

July 21, 2026

Photograph of an older woman in a yellow blouse with hands clasped at a conference table. — Zhanyl Akbaeva

UNDP Kyrgyzstan

“For me, it was not only about assessing the patient's health condition, but also about providing maximum assistance in exercising their rights to social protection and rehabilitation.”

She remains dedicated to her profession out of a sense of duty and an understanding of the significance of this work—both for citizens and the state. Her career includes leading the Republican Center for Medical and Social Expertise from 2015 to 2023, along with years of teaching. Today, she serves as an expert trainer, passing on her extensive experience to colleagues across the country.

One of the most challenging areas of her work has been conducting medical and social expertise for individuals in places of deprivation of liberty.

“We worked toward resolving this issue for a very long time, and there were many pros and cons... but ultimately, it was a reaction of understanding how crucial this decision is: individuals in places of deprivation of liberty, just like the rest of us, have the right to an objective assessment and access to state guarantees.”

Previously, the legislation lacked a mechanism to conduct medical and social expertise for this category of citizens. Because of this, individuals in places of deprivation of liberty were effectively unable to undergo the assessment, obtain disability status, or access the social rights to which they were entitled.

“People in places of deprivation of liberty remain citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic and hold equal constitutional rights with others,” Zhanyl Akbaeva emphasizes.

This is precisely why a unified procedure was developed, taking into account the specific conditions of conducting expertise in such environments. Establishing disability status during sentence serving opens up access to necessary medical assistance, treatment, and rehabilitation. It also serves as a basis for special detention conditions, technical assistive devices, and social guarantees provided by law. Upon release, this status grants the right to a pension or social allowance, medical and social rehabilitation, provision of technical assistive devices, and support in social adaptation and reintegration into society.

The mechanism is built on the collaboration between the medical services of penitentiary institutions and medical-social expertise: doctors perform medical examinations and prepare the documentation, while MSEK (Medical and Social Expert Commission) specialists make decisions in accordance with the established procedure. Objectivity is ensured through collegiality, documentation of every procedure, and the principles of confidentiality and non-discrimination.

Photograph of a woman in a yellow shirt gesturing during a presentation in front of a slide. — Zhanyl Akbaeva

UNDP Kyrgyzstan

To ensure that expert doctors across the country apply the new regulations confidently and consistently, training sessions have been organized. These sessions cover the application of the Regulation on Recognizing a Citizen as a Person with a Disability, the step-by-step expertise algorithm, professional ethics, and law enforcement issues. Among those sharing their knowledge is Zhanyl Akbaeva herself.

In her assessment, UNDP provided expert, consultative, and technical support during the development of this mechanism. This support helped align the process with international standards and create a more effective, rights-respecting procedure. Such support, she notes, makes it possible to rely on modern international practices and make the national system fairer, more transparent, and accessible to everyone, including vulnerable groups.

By ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and implementing the "Accessible Country" state program, the Kyrgyz Republic is consistently building a more inclusive system of rights protection. This aligns with the national priorities set out in the National Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2030. UNDP assists the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republican Center for Medical and Social Expertise in fulfilling these obligations.

The work continues. Ahead lies the monitoring of the application of the new procedures, professional development of specialists, and the creation of a republican disability registry, which will make the system even more transparent.

“For people, this is primarily about access to their legal rights, regardless of whether they are free or in places of deprivation of liberty... For the system, it is about creating a transparent, accessible, unified, and effective mechanism for interagency cooperation... For me personally, this is not just a professional task; it is another experience of professional responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to solving this social issue.”

“It is crucial that specialists strictly adhere to the established procedure, and that society views this as a step toward a more just and humane system, understanding that this is about protecting a citizen's basic rights and ensuring a fair approach for everyone.”

This material was prepared within the framework of the UNDP and MFA Finland project "Strengthening Human Rights and Equal Access to Justice in the Kyrgyz Republic."