The lack of advance planning in a public health emergency can lead to wasted resources and inadvertent loss of lives. This study is aimed at forecasting the needs for healthcare resources following the expansion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Republic of Kazakhstan, focusing on hospital beds, equipment, and the professional workforce in light of the developing epidemiological situation and the data on resources currently available. We constructed a forecast model of the epidemiological scenario via the classic susceptible-exposed-infected-removed (SEIR) approach. The World Health Organization's COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool was used to evaluate the healthcare resources needed for the next 12 weeks. Over the forecast period, there will be 104 713.7 hospital admissions due to severe disease and 34 904.5 hospital admissions due to critical disease. This will require 47 247.7 beds for severe disease and 1929.9 beds for critical disease at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. There will also be high needs for all categories of healthcare workers and for both diagnostic and treatment equipment. Thus, Republic of Kazakhstan faces the need for a rapid increase in available healthcare resources and/or for finding ways to redistribute resources effectively. Republic of Kazakhstan will be able to reduce the rates of infections and deaths among its population by developing and following a consistent strategy targeting COVID-19 in a number of inter-related directions.

Background and Objective. The number of new entrants to higher medical schools of Kazakhstan increased by 1.6 times from 2007 to 2012. However, it is not known how it will affect the shortage of human resources for health. Additionally, human resources for health in rural areas of Kazakhstan are 4 times scarcer than in urban areas. The aim of the present study was to investigate the intentions of students toward their professional future and readiness to work in rural areas, as well as to determine the causes for dropping out from medical schools. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2 medical universities in Almaty during the academic year 2011–2012. The study sample included medical students and interns. In total, 2388 students participated in the survey. The survey tool was an anonymous questionnaire. Results. The students of the first years of studies compared with those of later years of studies were more optimistic about the profession and had more intentions to work in the medical field. Only 8% of the students reported a wish to work in rural localities. On the other hand, 4% of the students did not plan to pursue the profession. On the average, every third medical student dropped out on his/her own request. Conclusions. Associations between intentions to work according to the profession and the year of studies, faculty, and residence area before enrolling in a medical school were documented. The majority of the students who came from rural areas preferred to stay and look for work in a city, which might contribute to an unequal distribution of physicians across the country.

Expanding longevity, together with a decrease in mortality, leads to an increase in the older population worldwide. In this review, ageing and older adults, as well as psychosocial and advanced technological interventions, will be discussed. Older adults are associated with an increased incidence of multimorbidity and disability; thus, they have a higher demand for health services than younger individuals. Challenges in welfare services and inadequate family and community-based care support negatively impact the psychosocial and economic wellbeing of older people. Active ageing and successful ageing are crucial aspects for a better quality of life in this age group, as there is a complex interplay of different domains and disease types that influence quality of life in older adults. Additionally, promoting the social participation of older adults is vital for improving their quality of life. Furthermore, the use of technology in older adults has a positive impact on their quality of life; however, aside from the promotion and implementation of technological interventions, challenges persist at all levels of acceptance and use. A better understanding of these challenges and implementing measures to overcome them will have a significant impact on the technological acceptance of older adults and their use in daily life activities, resulting in more favourable quality of life outcomes.

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, the State screening program for early detection of Arterial Hypertension (AH) and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD) for the target age groups was established in 2008. The results of cross-sectional survey conducted at 8 primary health care facilities of Almaty city and Almaty region of Kazakhstan from September 2012 until May 2013 was used. A multistage sampling approach was used to select patients with diagnosed arterial hypertension between 18 to 64 years of age residing in a city (n=405, 50.6%) or village (n=395, 49.4%). Data collection was done via face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Rural residents (62.7%) mainly were “no-screened”. These patients get treatment in policlinics only in case of serious health problems. At younger ages of 18 and 39 years, AH is diagnosed less often among rural than among urban residents (P<0.05). In addition, 71% of the rural residents have incomes below the national average, which has a significant impact on their ability to purchase quality medicines and food and to engage in sports; 16.3% of the rural respondents do not follow doctor’s prescriptions due to the lack of money to buy medications. The screening for AH and the dissemination of information about screening in rural areas needs a lot of improvement, and that it is necessary to reconsider and improve the public policy for the distribution of free medications.

Background and aim: During the past few decades, the aging population has increased. With aging, there is an increase in functional limitations. The aim of this study was to analyze sociodemographic factors associated with physical functioning impairment in elderly males and females. Methods: This population-based modeling study based on a data from a third national study of health of Serbian inhabitants from 2013 in Serbia included 3540 elderly participants 65 years of age and above from Serbia. Physical functioning for both genders was categorized as follows: PF1—walking half a kilometer on level ground without the assistance of any mobility aids and PF2—walking up or down 12 steps. Modeling of physical functioning for both genders was categorized as follows: Model 1: inability to perform PF1, Model 2: some/a lot of difficulty in performing PF1, Model 3: inability to perform PF2, and Model 4: some/a lot of difficulty in performing PF2. Further variables were evaluated: age, education level, marital status, body mass index (BMI), wealth index, and place of residence. Logistic regression was performed to identify the variables that are factors associated with PF1 and PF2 in elderly males and females. Results: Statistically significant factors were as follows: age (Model 1 (male OR: 2.591; female OR: 4.708); Model 2 (male OR: 1.791; female OR: 2.354); Model 3 (male OR: 2.386; female OR: 4.985); Model 4 (male OR: 1.883; female OR: 2.772)); BMI (Model 2 (female OR: 1.348); Model 4 (female OR: 1.329)), marital status (Model 2 (female OR: 0.713); Model 4 (male OR: 0.688)); education level (Model 1 (male OR: 0.626; female OR: 0.537); Model 2 (male OR: 0.811; female OR: 0.653); Model 3 (male OR: 0.697; female OR: 0.494); Model 4 (male OR: 0.784; female OR: 0.639)); wealth index (Model 2 (male OR: 0.823; female OR: 0.740); Model 3 (male OR: 0.724); Model 4 (male OR: 0.787; female OR: 0.731)); and place of residence (Model 1 (female OR: 1.704); Model 3 (female OR: 1.575)). Conclusions: Increased age, being single, a lower education level, and a lower wealth index were factors associated with functional disability in the elderly of both genders, while an increased BMI and living in another place than a city were factors associated with functional disability in elderly females. Specific social strategies bearing in mind possible gender differences should be created and implemented in order to optimize the physical functioning, mobility, and participation of the elderly.

Background and Objectives: Limited information is available regarding the distribution of increasing pharmaceutical expenditures within large representative samples of national populations globally. The aim was to investigate the distribution of pharmaceutical costs in outpatient treatment and analyze the primary characteristics of users of expensive drugs within the healthcare system of Kazakhstan. Methods: This study utilized data from the Information System for Outpatient Drug Supply, which includes nationally representative data from all regions of Kazakhstan, covering both rural and urban populations. The key explanatory variables in this study included age, gender, number of prescribed medications, disease categories based on ICD-10 codes, and insurance coverage status. These variables were selected to capture demographic, clinical, and healthcare access factors influencing prescription drug costs. In total, 2.2 million people, who were prescribed outpatient medications were included. High-cost users (HCUs) were characterized as individuals whose prescription drug expenses ranked within the highest 5%. Results: The distribution of pharmaceutical costs exhibits significant discrepancy, with 5% of the population receiving prescription drugs covered by the state budget and social medical insurance fund contributing to nearly three-quarters of all costs. Notably, these HCUs tended to be younger than low-cost drug users. HCUs, on average, consumed a greater quantity of medications compared to non-HCUs. Among children, the top diseases contributing to high costs were rare hereditary diseases and malignancies, while in adults, cancer and diabetes were the primary cost drivers. Conclusion: There is a concentration of public drug program spending within a small percentage of beneficiaries with high drug costs in Kazakhstan. This discovery offers valuable insights for shaping policies tailored to this specific population, aiming to mitigate escalating costs and enhance the optimal use of medications. Plain Language Summary: The pronounced skewness in the consumption of reimbursed outpatient drugs within the healthcare system of the Republic of Kazakhstan highlights the need for targeted cost containment strategies, in addition to broader measures such as price regulation and adjustments to reimbursement lists that impact the general population. The highest average costs in the high-cost group are observed in children under 5 years of age. Costs associated with chronic diseases (diabetes and others) rank in the top three, while when assessing costs in the high-cost user group, rare inherited diseases and cancer have a significant impact.