The Ministry of Health RK, the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians, and the Almaty Post-Graduate Institute for Physicians along with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its project ZdravPlus held the first conference of family physicians on June 17-18 in Almaty.
The conference marked the 20th anniversary since the concept of family medicine was introduced in Kazakhstan and the 10th anniversary for the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians.
Family medicine is an internationally-recognized approach that provides integrated patient-centered health care services to the entire family. Family medicine was first introduced in Kazakhstan in 1989, when the government decreed the opening of the first mixed policlinic for both adults and children. Since 1994, these efforts by the Ministry of Health were joined by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Almaty Post-Graduate Institute for Physicians and – for the past 10 years - the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians.
In 1994-1998 first family group practices were organized in Zhezkazgan, Semipalatinsk, and South Kazakhstan oblasts. With assistance from USAID, these clinics integrated various services - maternal and child care with reproductive health, management of infectious diseases, management of chronic disease, and disease prevention. For example, in Zhezkazgan Oblast, with ongoing USAID support, the number of such practices operating as independent health care providers increased from zero in 1994 to 56 in 1997. By 2001, there were more than 600 family medicine practices in these three oblasts. USAID advised the government in drafting national primary health care enrollment rules and other essential legislative changes, and worked with the Kazakh Post-Graduate Institute of Physicians to initiate a new 2-year family medicine residency course in 2003. Since then, the institute, in cooperation with USAID, has retrained thousands of family or general practice physicians by using the best available evidence-based medical protocols. In 1999, these general practice physicians created the Kazakhstan Association of Family Practitioners with USAID support. Sicne then, this association, together with USAID and the Almaty Post-Graduate Institute for Physicians, has been working on the institutionalization of family medicine by publicizing the benefits of evidence-based medicine throughout the country, as well as facilitating faculty development and continuing medical education.
The adoption of family medicine is also strongly supported by the State Health Care Development Program. The Government of Kazakhstan that has provided over one billion tenge to train general practitioners and family doctors throughout the country. Through the joint effort, over the last 5 years more than 1,000 doctors have been retrained.
This transition to family medicine has been proven an effective mechanism to ensure high quality health care services to the population. Integrated primary health care facilities, where teams of social workers and nurses work together under the direction of a well-trained and motivated family doctors can also address such health issues as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and chronic diseases.
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USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is a leading U.S. Government agency responsible for development assistance to other countries. It has been helping Kazakhstan since 1992 to develop its economy, healthcare, and democratic institutes. Website: http://centralasia.usaid.gov.
Almaty Postgraduate Institute for Physicians (PGI) provides in-service training for Kazakhstan practicing physicians, pharmacists, and laboratory workers in 73 specialties since 1965. PGI is a Kazakhstan leading institution on postgraduate training. Annually more than 7-9,000 physicians come to Almaty PGI for clinical training. Website: www.agiuv.kz
The Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians (KAFP) advocates for strengthening family medicine and primary health care, supporting and promoting high quality health care services to the population. KAFP was funded in 1998 and currently works through 15 branches and more than 800 active members. Website: www.kzfamilydoctor.org
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