Kazakhstan is witnessing a
decrease in the incidence of 39 infection types, including both coronavirus and
rotavirus. As for measles, the country registered over 29,000 cases of
infection by the end of last year, with 80 percent affecting children under the
age of 14. Nearly 700,000 children under six years old have been vaccinated. Since
November 2023, additional vaccination efforts have covered 930,000 people,
exceeding 20,000 daily. Kazakh Health Minister Azhar Giniyat reported this
information during the first government meeting of the year, highlighting the
overall stability of the epidemiological situation in 2023. Due to timely
preventive measures, not a single case of the 20 most dangerous infections,
including plague, cholera, and poliomyelitis, was recorded in the country. To
ensure epidemiological stability this year, a series of measures will be taken
in Kazakhstan.
“Local authorities, in
collaboration with the Health Ministry, should intensify vaccination efforts
against measles and other infections. Special attention should be given to
those who missed routine shots. It is crucial to create conditions for
vaccination of citizens in hard-to-reach and remote rural areas. In general,
the issue of vaccination should be kept under special control by local
governors. The country’s Health Ministry, together with local authorities, should
secure proper storage and transportation conditions for vaccines, especially in
rural areas. The accountability of medical workers for adhering to these
conditions should be enhanced,” Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said.
