Year in review: Innovations and reforms in Kazakhstan’s health care system

In 2024, Kazakhstan’s health care system underwent significant reforms to improve accessibility, efficiency and transparency. In an interview with The Astana Times, Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova outlined key innovations, including advancements in primary care, infrastructure modernization and domestic pharmaceutical growth, to strengthen public health services nationwide. The year has been challenging for all industries, especially public health. What tasks have been set, and what has been achieved? This year, we focused on three key areas: simplifying and improving primary care with an emphasis on prevention, ensuring accessibility to medical services for everyone, regardless of residence and maintaining financial sustainability in health care.

Over 1,000 industry standards and regulations were reviewed, resulting in 200 amendments to codes and laws. For instance, new regulatory acts aim to optimize polyclinic operations, reduce unnecessary visits to general practitioners, and streamline referrals to specialists and diagnostic procedures. A multidisciplinary approach has been introduced for monitoring chronic diseases, and advanced practice nurses now handle tasks such as referrals and prescriptions, easing the burden on doctors. Promoting a healthy lifestyle remains a priority. Tobacco and alcohol excise taxes were increased, and legislation banned vapes, flavored products, and energy drinks for individuals under 21. We are also working on introducing excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

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