Population Health Status of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Trends and Implications for Public Health Policy

The Republic of Kazakhstan began undergoing a political, economic, and social transition after 1991. Population health was declared an important element and was backed with a substantial commitment by the central government to health policy. We examine key trends in the population health status of the Republic of Kazakhstan and seek to understand them in relation to the ongoing political, economic, and social changes in society and its aspirations in health policy. We used the Global Burden of Disease database and toolkit to extract and analyze country-specific descriptive data for the Republic of Kazakhstan to assess life expectancy, child mortality, leading causes of mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and causes and number of years lived with disability. Life expectancy declined from 1990 to 1996 but has subsequently recovered. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remain among the leading causes of death; child mortality for children under 5 years has declined; and cardiovascular risk factors account for the greatest cause of disability. Considering its socioeconomic development over the last two decades, Kazakhstan continues to lag behind OECD countries on leading health indictors despite substantial investments in public health policy. We identify seven strategic priorities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system.