NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare and the representative office of AstraZeneca in Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding during the plenary session of the eighth Intergovernmental Commission of the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan on Nov. 4, reports the ministry’s press service.
The meeting of the commission. Photo credit: Ministry’s press service
This document envisions measures to develop quality and affordable health care, increasing life expectancy to 75 years by 2025, and the introduction of a model for proactive prevention of non-communicable diseases and expansion of disease management programs as part of Kazakhstan’s healthcare development program for 2020-2025.
“The year 2020 has clearly demonstrated the need for a comprehensive approach to improving the quality and accessibility of health care for citizens. We understand that to achieve a qualitative shift in health indicators, we need coordinated efforts from the entire society, including government institutions, business representatives, and NGOs at all levels, and first of all of those institutions that have a direct impact on access to innovation,” said Vice Healthcare Minister Zhandos Burkitbayev.
The memorandum opens up opportunities for cooperation in scientific and educational programs to train health care professionals, the introduction of modern methods of diagnostics and therapy of socially significant diseases into clinical practice, the digitalization of the health care system, and the creation of a new digital ecosystem.
As part of the cooperation, AstraZeneca plans to support programs to improve detection and control of diabetes mellitus, improve treatment of respiratory diseases, assist in the development of Kazakhstan’s health system in the field of rare diseases, and implement programs to reduce mortality from the circulatory system diseases.
“The memorandum signed today will make it possible to apply the accumulated global expertise of AstraZeneca to improve medical care in the country. One of the most important tasks of the memorandum is to expand access of people to innovative medicines in the shortest possible time from the moment of registration. The memorandum also pays a lot of attention to the improvement of the competence of healthcare specialists,” said Director of AstraZeneca representative office in Kazakhstan Alexander Tarishkin.
The company also intends to improve the quality of medical care for patients diagnosed with cancer, including the development of molecular-genetic diagnostics, as well as the introduction of digital technologies for remote specialists.
The signing of the memorandum is another step toward strengthening the bilateral ties between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom, said British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kathy Leach
“Increased cooperation is especially important, as the year 2022 will widely mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. We hope that this agreement will strengthen our partnership towards the social and economic bloc and will help Kazakhstanis to access innovative therapies and best practices in healthcare as quickly as possible,” she said.
