In Kazakhstan, in order to reduce child and adult disability, the range of diagnosis of diseases in target populations is expanding, and the availability of early detection of genetic diseases and congenital malformations of the fetus in pregnant women is increasing, Minister of Health Akmaral Alnazarova said today.
"The structure of child disability in Kazakhstan has undergone changes due to the improvement and introduction of new diagnostic methods. Over the past 7 years, disability in the Republic of Kazakhstan has decreased by categories: congenital malformations, deformities and chromosomal abnormalities by 5.2%, diseases of the nervous system by 1.7%," the head of the department noted.
At the same time, neuropsychiatric diseases have become one of the most common diagnoses in the structure of childhood disability. This is due to the introduction of diagnostic screening for the early detection of autism, the approval of a clinical protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
She said that starting in 2025, Kazakhstan plans to introduce screening of adolescent girls aged 16-17 years for the carriage of spinal muscular atrophy.
At the same time, in order to improve the availability of early detection of genetic diseases and congenital malformations, starting from March 1 of this year,
"One-day clinics" have been opened in 10 regions of the country, where more than 23 thousand pregnant women have been examined. This year, the Republican Center for the Coordination of Orphan Diseases was established to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of patient treatment.
For men aged 50 to 70 years, in order to reduce the incidence of acute cerebral circulatory disorders and myocardial infarction, outpatient coronary angiography and ultrasound of brachiocephalic vessels will be introduced for all insured citizens starting next year. This examination will be available once every two years.
For early diagnosis and prevention of complications of chronic noncommunicable diseases at the level of primary medical and social care (PHC), 3.4 million Kazakhstani adults are screened for BSC, diabetes mellitus, and oncology annually.
As the head of the Ministry of Health noted, further treatment is carried out for all diseases identified as a result of screening, patients are provided with dynamic monitoring and free outpatient medicines.
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan also carries out systematic work to reduce risk factors for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. So, since 2024, a ban on vaping and restrictions on the prohibition of the sale of energy drinks to persons under 21 years of age have been introduced.
"To ensure the availability and quality of palliative care, starting from January 1, 2025, we are increasing the tariffs of these medical services by 33% and funding for palliative care will increase by 42%. Also, starting from 2025, a new model for evaluating the quality system of primary health care for the early detection and prevention of complications of chronic noncommunicable diseases will be introduced, which will reduce disability among children and adults," the minister said.
In recent years, there has been a trend towards an increase in disability in many countries, which is associated with demographic changes, an aging population and improved diagnosis.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/dsm/press/news/details/878248