At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, the issue of the current incidence of influenza and viral infections was reviewed. Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova reported on the epidemiological situation in the country.

According to the Ministry of Healthcare, since 1 September, 1,461,000 cases of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) have been registered, which is 20% lower than in the same period of the previous epidemic season. Children under 14 years old account for 66% of cases. Over the past week, 183,000 cases of ARVI were recorded, which is 16% higher than the figure for the same week last year. A total of 590 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases have been identified. During this period, more than 6,000 cases of ARVI among schoolchildren were also registered nationwide. Approximately 4% of schoolchildren are involved in the ARVI epidemic process out of the total number of those infected.

In general, 3–4 million ARVI cases and up to 2,000 influenza cases are registered annually. A total of 2.1 million people have been vaccinated against influenza; the vaccine protects against influenza strains relevant for the current epidemic season, including influenza A (H3N2). The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of providing high-quality medical care and issued a number of instructions to the Ministry of Healthcare and regional akimats.

“As we can see, the viral illness season has begun. I instruct the Ministry of Healthcare, together with the akimats, to place under control the quality of medical services provided to citizens who seek assistance. If necessary, deploy additional inpatient beds and organize mobile field teams," Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

It was noted that special attention should be paid to medicine supply: antiviral medications must be available in the required volume in all pharmacies. The Prime Minister also instructed to intensify outreach work on the prevention of viral diseases. Oversight is assigned to the Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova.

#The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Government session #Healthcare

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