This presentation presents the investment case for health emergency preparedness and response in Kazakhstan.

1. WHO Health Emergencies Programme
at country level
Investing for a safe and
healthy Kazakhstan
Dr Caroline Clarinval
WHO Representative a.i.
WHO Country Office – Kazakhstan

2. The European Region is vulnerable to
health threats
• Infectious diseases and measles epidemics
• Outbreaks of West Nile Virus (WNV) and
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
• Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods,
forest fires, landslides)
• Man-made disasters (chemical or radiation
leaks)
• Armed conflicts and spill over from
neighbouring emergencies

3. Health emergencies affect
lives and livelihoods
In a typical year, Europe
suffers economic losses
of € 10 billion* from
disasters and
emergencies, and
hundreds of people die
or become severely ill
March 2018.* Estimate quoted in EFDRR. High-Level Dialogue Communiqué from 2017. European Forum for Disaster Risk
Reduction, Istanbul, 26–28 March 2017.

4. 15 European
countries and
areas have
been
identified by
WHO for
priority action
1All references to Kosovo in this document should be understood to be in
the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

5. Kazakhstan is prone to specific
health threats
• Earthquakes and floods
• Drought
• Social and political fragility
• Chemical and nuclear hazards
• Environmental hazards (Aral
Sea region)
Kazakhstan seismic hazard map
data.euro.who.int/e-atlas/europe

6. IHR core capacities: what and why?
Structures, skills and people needed for•
health system to prepare for, detect
and respond to health emergencies
Legal obligation under the• International
Health Regulations of 2005 (IHR)
Capacities all WHO Member States•
committed to build, maintain and
report on annually

7. All countries report on 13 capacities
1. Legislation and financing
2. IHR Coordination and National Focal Point (NFP) functions
3. Zoonotic events and the human–animal interface
4. Food safety
5. Laboratory
6. Surveillance
7. Human resources
8. National Health Emergency Framework
9. Health service provision
10. Risk communication
11. Points of entry
12. Chemical events
13. Radiation emergencies

8. Why must Kazakhstan strengthen its
IHR core capacities?
1. Protect lives and livelihoods
2. Achieve best value-for-money
health investment
3. Show leadership & commitment
4. Observe legal obligations under
IHR treaty
5. Meet GPW13 goals, help
achieve UHC and other SDG
goals

9. Health emergency capacity:
a “best buy” health investment
• Many emergencies are
preventable, or can be mitigated
• Well-prepared countries see
fewer deaths and less disruption
Analysis by WHO shows $ 1 spent on health
emergency capacity produces a return of $ 8.30*
*WHO. A Healthier Humanity: The WHO Investment Case for 2019–2023, pp. 24–28. Geneva: World Health Organization;
Organization; 2018.

10. WHO’s “Triple Billion” is every country’s
2023 target*
• 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC
• 1 billion more people better protected
from health emergencies
• 1 billion more people enjoying better
health and well-being
*WHO General Programme of Work for 2019–2023 (GPW 13)

11. Protecting people from health
emergencies contributes to SDGs

12. All countries committed to the Action Plan
to Improve Public Health Preparedness and
Response in the WHO European Region
VISION
GOAL
A WHO European Region where the impact of
health emergencies is prevented or minimized
Strengthen and maintain adequate capacities in
the European Region to effectively prevent,
prepare for, detect and respond to public health
threats and to provide assistance to affected
countries, when necessary, through three strategic
pillars

13. Public health
needs to be
protected across
the whole health
emergency cycle

14. “Two sides of the same coin”
• Strengthening health emergency capacity strengthens health
system resilience and UHC
• Strengthening health systems strengthens capacity to
prepare and respond to emergencies

15. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Kazakhstan’s road to stronger health emergency capacities
@WHO/Jaqueline Christensen @WHO/Mihail Grigorev @WHO/Margarita Spasenovska @WHO/Jerome Flayosc

16. • 55% of reporting countries have preparedness
and response plans at all levels
• 73% of reporting countries have response
coordination and incident management at all
levels
• In 60% of reporting countries, all levels have
access to resources with which to mount a
response
• 50% of reporting countries have case
management services for all hazards at all
levels
©WHO
Progress towards protecting people in Europe

17. Kazakhstan making progress
• Development of National Action Plan for Health Security. Costing mission to
take place in 2019
• Investment in health care system strengthening
• Good disease surveillance system
• Laboratory cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (US CDC)
• Collaboration with WHO/Europe on Emergency Risk Communication
preparedness
• Consideration of a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of Kazakhstan’s IHR
core capacities

18. How do Kazakhstan’s capacities need to
be further strengthened?
Key areas for capacity
strengthening
Recommendation
Long-term strategy for
IHR / health emergency
capacities
Conduct JEE to benchmark capacities and identify key gaps / areas
for strengthening. Develop National Action Plan on Public Health
Emergency Preparedness based on JEE. Get government to
approve Plan and fund it
Issues already identified Overall Kazakhstan scores high on the 2019 self-assessment report,
with a number of issues offering room for growth – including food
safety, surveillance, and risk communication
Multisectoral
coordination
Strengthen coordination and collaboration across government
sectors and levels
Leadership Increase Ministry of Health’s political commitment and leadership

19. Kazakhstan’s
success stories
• Collaboration with WHO on hospital emergency preparedness
assessments in Astana, Almaty and two rural oblasts
• National reference laboratory in Almaty’s strong technical
cooperation with US CDC
• National IHR Road Map endorsed by Government in April 2019
• Emergency Operation Centre established under Ministry of
Health

20. Conclusion: the opportunity is there
• Crucial for Kazakhstan to schedule a JEE as first step towards a long-
term strategy for health emergency capacities
– Shows political commitment and leadership
– Basis for finding resources
• WHO and partners offer advice and technical support but domestic
resources are key
– Health emergency capacity is part of UHC: needs to be sustainable
• Long-term well-funded strategy on health emergency capacities will
save lives and protect Kazakhstan’s economy

21. WHO Health Emergencies
Programme in the
European Region
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/health-topics/health-
emergencies
WHO Country Office for
Kazakhstan
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/countries/kazakhstan
Thank you