Kazakhstan has built 655 facilities as part of its primary healthcare modernization programme. More than 200 villages received their own medical institutions for the first time, Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova said at an international congress on primary healthcare development in Astana.
The facilities were built under the national project “Modernization of Rural Healthcare” and equipped with diagnostic and telemedicine equipment, the minister said. Polyclinics are also developing team-based primary care, opening emergency care rooms and strengthening disease prevention.
More than 440 child development and early intervention centres opened at primary healthcare organizations over the past year. Specialists help identify developmental disorders in children and support families. Domestic artificial intelligence tools assist doctors in diagnosing strokes and detecting breast and lung cancer at early stages.
According to the minister, life expectancy in Kazakhstan reached 75.97 years in 2025, compared with 67.6 years in 1991. Since independence, infant mortality has fallen more than 4.5 times, maternal mortality sixfold and deaths from tuberculosis tenfold.
Nine key healthcare laws were adopted in 2025–2026, legal protections for medical workers were strengthened and professional liability insurance was introduced. From January 1, 2027, more than 77,000 primary healthcare district-service specialists are to receive additional payments for continuous service.
The international congress “Public Health and Primary Healthcare Effectiveness in the Digital Space” is taking place in Astana on November 12–13. It brings together representatives of the World Health Organization, 95 international specialists and experts from eight countries. Participants are discussing access to medical care, primary healthcare, workforce training and digital technologies.
