Infant mortality in Kazakhstan has declined by 13% over the past two years, while child mortality has fallen by 5.5%, Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova reported at a government meeting, QazMonitor reports.
According to the minister, the results were achieved through a comprehensive approach to maternal and child healthcare. Kazakhstan has entered the top 30 countries globally in the Child Well-Being Index and became the first country in Central Asia to meet the WHO target of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 25%.
To reduce regional disparities in healthcare quality, Kazakhstan is renovating 15 regional children’s hospitals and building a network of modern perinatal centers. New facilities are under construction in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and other cities. A digital system tracking a child’s healthcare pathway from birth to age 18 has also been introduced.
Alnazarova said all school medical offices are expected to be equipped with defibrillators. School medical staff must be prepared to respond not only to injuries but also to critical conditions. Regional authorities have been instructed to allocate the necessary funding.
Equipment coverage in school medical offices has reached 93%. At the same time, challenges remain with opening dental offices in schools, as plans have not been fulfilled in several regions. The Ministry of Healthcare plans to open an additional 862 school dental offices over the next three years.
