In a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Tamara Duisenova, the state of the country's sanitary and epidemiological situation took center stage. The meeting, attended by Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor Aizhan Esmagambetova, addressed growing concerns over the rising cases of hepatitis A and measles, primarily among individuals who have not received the appropriate vaccinations.
Measles, in particular, has begun to affect all regions of the country, with significant concentrations of infected individuals in Shymkent and Almaty. The primary cause of this worrying trend, as noted by Dr. Aizhan Esmagambetova, is the failure of many individuals to receive the recommended vaccines.
"In this regard, local executive bodies, as well as in the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, must be prepared for additional mass immunization against measles," Dr. Esmagambetova stressed.
Deputy Prime Minister Tamara Duisenova, during the meeting, emphasized that the root cause of the vaccination issue could be attributed to the low awareness among the population regarding the dangers of these diseases. She urged for a renewed focus on public education and information dissemination as a key strategy to combat this problem.
"If people refuse vaccinations, it means that information work is being done poorly. Man is not his own enemy. If he knows that there is danger, he will take measures to protect himself. The Ministry of Health, together with local akimats, should strengthen work in this direction," instructed Tamara Duisenova.
The meeting also revealed the results of inspections carried out on medical institutions, which raised additional concerns. Some healthcare facilities were found to be in violation of requirements for preventing nosocomial infections. In several cases, there were breaches in disinfection and sterilization protocols, while others were found to have insufficient provisions for personal protective equipment.
Deputy Prime Minister Duisenova did not mince words, stating that healthcare institutions receive their funding on time and that there should be no excuses for these lapses.
"Why, for example, is there not enough personal protective equipment? Punishing violations is not the goal itself. Our task is to look for ways to solve problems. But you are forcing us to take action," she emphasized, hinting at potential consequences for those institutions failing to meet the necessary standards.
She also warned that if these issues are not promptly resolved, the government may consider suspending the activities of individual healthcare facilities.
Kazakhstan is not the only Central Asian country facing the challenge of a measles outbreak. The situation in Kyrgyzstan has become increasingly intricate, characterized by a growing number of cases among school and kindergarten children, as reported by the country's Ministry of Health. This surge in cases primarily affects unvaccinated children. Since the beginning of 2023, a total of 3,289 individuals have contracted measles, with the majority of cases affecting children under 4 years of age.
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