Kazakhstan's Primary Health Care: Where do the Reforms Lead Us? (Research Brief)

The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of introduced health care reforms/programs on the population’s health and health services utilization throughout the years of Kazakhstan’s independence. The focus is on primary health care and reforms/programs related to maternal and child health as well as the establishment of small family practices. Although the analysis demonstrated a considerable improvement in population health during the last thirteen years, not all populations benefited from the improvements equally. The analysis revealed a significant disparity in population health among the regions, which increased in some health aspects during the studied years. The current research will assist in better understanding the challenges and threats for the population’s health in Kazakhstan, as well as opportunities and shortcomings of health care reforms/programs.

Nailya Almagambetova, of Northern Illinois University, was a 2011-12  Short-Term Travel Grants (STG) fellow.