Kazakhstan

Background

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As Kazakhstan made the transition from former Soviet Republic to independent democracy, the nation’s social safety net began to fray badly, and only recently has the government started to repair it. Overall, poverty in Kazakhstan has decreased, but rural areas continue to lag behind.

Issues facing children in Kazakhstan

• Many Kazakh families (and even some health-care workers in the country) lack basic information about breastfeeding, early childhood development, care of sick children and nutrition for pregnant and lactating women.

• Many health facilities suspended tuberculosis immunizations in 2004 after more than 1,000 people reported adverse side effects from a tuberculosis vaccine imported from Serbia. Overall vaccination rates are expected to fall dramatically because of the negative publicity surrounding this controversy.

• A measles outbreak afflicted more than 1,200 people in 2004.

• Vitamin A deficiency is still a serious concern in many regions of the country.

• Approximately 75,000 children live in institutions.

Activities and results for children

• Kazakhstan’s president has made a long-term commitment to increased spending on health care and social services. He signed a bill in 2004 that will raise health care funding to 4 per cent of GDP, and will ensure the free delivery of essential drugs and iron pills to pregnant women and children under age five. The drug package will not only improve maternal and under-five mortality rates, but will also make primary health care more cost-effective.

• A Better Parenting Initiative is improving parents’ knowledge about early childhood development and giving them the skills they need to care for their young children.

• UNICEF supported the creation of a National Programme on Improvement of Perinatal Care by hiring consultants, training specialists and disseminating information.

• Efforts by UNICEF and its partners have led to legislation on Universal Salt Iodization and Flour Fortification. More than 15 mills now produce fortified flour; 84 per cent of households consume iodized salt, up from 29 per cent in 1999.

• The newly created National Commission on Child Protection has made it a priority to deinstitutionalize children with special needs and integrate them into the mainstream of society.

• A national programme to improve the education system has increased funding for schools and seeks to improve the overall quality of education nationwide. Pre-school enrolment rates have increased greatly in the past five years.

• The school curriculum is being revised to include life skills that will help students protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.