Kazakhstan Bolsters Health Collaborations with Turkic Nations and World Health Organization (WHO)
Let's Chat About Kazakhstan's Healthcare Revolution
Got the scoop on the recent powwow in Astana! Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov had a meet-up with the Health Ministers from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and Hans Kluge, the WHO's Regional Director for Europe, on April 8. Kazakhstan's Health Minister, Akmaral Alnazarova, gave an update on the latest OTS Health Ministers meeting.
Kazakhstan is smack-dab in the middle of a major healthcare overhaul, construction of new healthcare facilities, setting up multidisciplinary clinics, and upgrading medical equipment. Snaps courtesy of the Prime Minister's press service.
This powwow was all about ramping up Kazakhstan's involvement with the OTS, collaborating on expertise swaps, and sharing advanced medical tech. They also tossed ideas around for improving healthcare in Kazakhstan and their partners' nations. The need for a united front by the OTS to tackle global health issues was a hot topic, according to the Prime Minister's team.
Bektenov stressed the importance of teamwork and strong partnerships in taking on large-scale health threats. He noted that Kazakhstan is knee-deep in a major healthcare upgrade with the addition of new infrastructure, multidisciplinary clinics, and the latest medical equipment. Kazakhstan is also ratcheting up its pharmaceutical industry.
"WHO's been a gem in this journey. The unity of our efforts, including technical support, led to a drop in respiratory, circulatory system diseases, and mortality rates," he said, adding that Kazakhstan's ready to share its experiences with other OTS countries.
Health ministers from collaborating countries were mighty impressed with Kazakhstan's healthcare improvements. The focus for the next two years is on enhancing primary care, emergency services, combating tuberculosis and other diseases, and pharma cooperation, particularly with Hungary's relevant gov agencies. Additionally, discussions about water hygiene were on the table.
WHOo's Your Friend?
Interactions with the WHO happen within the framework of the implementation of two-year cooperation agreements between the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Kazakh Ministry of Health. For 2024-2025, major areas of collaboration include universal healthcare coverage, emergency preparedness, prevention of non-communicable diseases, and implementing the One Health approach.
Kluge applauded Kazakhstan's efforts to decrease early deaths from chronic non-communicable diseases (e.g., heart and cancer diseases) via preventive measures. He pinpointed that Kazakhstan is one of only ten countries worldwide to achieve such a reduction.
"Kazakhstan’s moves in prevention have made a monumental impact: vaping's banned, a rigid alcohol policy's in place, and a vaccination program against the human papillomavirus is underway. Today we're discussing the next phase of cooperation, which involves launching the Academy of Primary Health Care (PHC), where future specialists from Kazakhstan will train and become top-notch PHC specialists," said Kluge.
Kazakhstan's Healthcare Initiatives and Financial Investments
Kazakhstan's promoting the principles of accessible and top-notch primary care. It's launched several initiatives like advanced nursing practices, early detection screenings for cancer and heart diseases, and setting up competence centers for cardiology, oncology, and endocrinology.
investments in Kazakhstan’s healthcare sector ticked up by 8.4%, reaching approximately $920 million in 2024, with a third of that investment coming from private investors. Investments in the pharmaceutical industry nearly doubled to $91.3 million. The share of domestically manufactured medicines is expected to climb annually to reach 50% local production by 2029.
Since 2017, Kazakhstan's opened 784 new medical facilities, including 467 primary healthcare centers, as part of the National Project for Rural Healthcare Modernization. The average life expectancy at birth has risen by nearly 3.5 years, reaching 75 years.
Following the meeting, the officials put their John Hancock on a Joint Declaration on health matters, a Joint Action Plan for healthcare, and several training cooperation and biological safety memorandums.
Last but not least, the Health Ministers of the OTS committed to action with a memorandum on April 7, transforming Kazakhstan's National Coordination Center for Emergency Medicine into a joint platform for cooperation.
Healthcare Coalition and the Quest for Global Health
The alliance between Kazakhstan, the OTS, and WHO focuses on building regional healthcare resilience, facing up to global health challenges with joint efforts. Keys to success:
- Centralizing Access and Coverage: 2025's poised to be the "Year of Primary Health Care Services" for the OTS to boost accessibility and sustainability[2]. Nearly 90% of Kazakhstan’s health services are now computerized, so expect information-sharing expertise to flow between member nations[2][5].
- Digital Health Adoption and Technology Sharing: e-health solutions and the creation of a unified digital healthcare space for collaborative research, standardization, and education are top of the agenda[5]. Modernized medical infrastructure and advanced tech are on their way to OTS partners[1][4].
- Improving Response to Crises and Infectious Diseases: Collaborative emergency response to global health threats, including respiratory and circulatory diseases, is a priority, with WHO's technical support reducing mortality rates[1]. The OTS is reinforcing its crisis preparedness and cross-border cooperative efforts in managing infectious diseases[2][5].
- Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases and Advancements: Efforts to shrink non-communicable diseases are underway, and the WHO backs several prevention programs and initiatives. Kazakhstan is also expanding its pharmaceutical industry to support regional health needs[1].
- ** data exchange and research**: Cross-border patient data sharing and joint research projects are on the cards to better diagnose and treat disease, particularly in digital health advancements[5]. Kazakhstan is eager to lead this charge.
- Kazakhstan is collaborating with the WHO within the implementation of two-year cooperation agreements, focusing on areas such as universal healthcare coverage, emergency preparedness, prevention of non-communicable diseases, and implementing the One Health approach for the period of 2024-2025.
- Hans Kluge, the WHO's Regional Director for Europe, has commended Kazakhstan's efforts in reducing early deaths from chronic non-communicable diseases, like heart and cancer diseases, via preventive measures, claiming that Kazakhstan is one of only ten countries worldwide to achieve such a reduction.
- The Kazakh Ministry of Health, in partnership with WHO, plans to launch the Academy of Primary Health Care (PHC), where future specialists from Kazakhstan will train and become top-notch PHC specialists, with a focus on vaccination programs against diseases like human papillomavirus.
- As part of the 467 primary healthcare centers recently opened in Kazakhstan as part of the National Project for Rural Healthcare Modernization, there are initiatives aimed at early detection screenings for cancer and heart diseases, advanced nursing practices, and establishing competence centers for cardiology, oncology, and endocrinology.
