The WOAH Sub-Regional Representation for Central Asia received an invitation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to participate in a crucial meeting on the prioritization of zoonotic diseases in Kazakhstan. This workshop, which took place in Almaty, was a collaborative effort between WHO and USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and received sponsorship from both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The objective of this workshop was to prioritize the allocation of national resources to enhance infectious disease surveillance within Kazakhstan. The resulting prioritized list of diseases will serve as a foundational tool for identifying gaps in surveillance, veterinary monitoring, and laboratory capacity. It will also pave the way for the development of comprehensive action plans, including prevention and control strategies, for the ten most prevalent diseases in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The process of identifying these priority diseases unfolded over a span of three days, culminating in the preparation of a comprehensive report. The outcomes and recommendations from this workshop will be communicated to the relevant health and veterinary control authorities.
The dedicated teams from the Public and Veterinary Health sectors of Kazakhstan actively engaged in this event. Once again, the WOAH demonstrated its commitment to One Health initiatives in Central Asia by actively participating in endeavors aimed at mitigating the economic and health impact of infectious diseases while reducing the risk of future pandemics.
