On September 16, 2025, the University Medical Center (UMC) Corporate Foundation in Astana hosted a meeting with a delegation from the Vatican’s «Bambino Gesù» Pediatric Hospital, led by its President Tiziano Onesti.

«Bambino Gesù» the Vatican’s pediatric hospital is the largest pediatric clinical and research center in Europe. The hospital provides comprehensive care across all areas of pediatric medicine. It also serves as Italy’s national center for «Orphanet» the most extensive international database on rare diseases.

The delegation from «Bambino Gesù» visited Kazakhstan at the invitation of UMC leadership and to participate in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, taking place in the capital on September 17-18.

Cooperation between UMC and «Bambino Gesù» is being developed within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022.

During the visit the delegation toured pediatric departments, as well as units specializing in transplantology, oncology, neurology, surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care. They also visited the National Research Center for «Motherhood and Childhood» and the newly established Center for rare diseases.

In a meeting with Yury Pya, Chairman of the Board of the University Medical Center Corporate Foundation, the parties held an in-depth and constructive exchange of views on further expanding their mutually beneficial cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects and scientific research initiatives.

The meeting concluded with the signing of an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding, outlining collaboration in the fields of pediatric neurology and epilepsy and the establishment of a Reference Center for Epilepsy at UMC in Kazakhstan.

The visit of the «Bambino Gesù» delegation marks a new chapter in the development of medical cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Vatican.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-vatican/press/news/details/1069670?lang=kk