Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges and important next steps

Usman Abubakar Haruna, Amos Abimbola Oladunni, Abdulafeez Katibi Abdulkadir, Abdullahi Umar, Shuaibu Saidu Musa, Elizabeth Oluwatoyin Afolabi, Joseph U. Almazan, Don Eliseo Lucero‐Prisno

Health Promotion Perspectives, 2025

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)

DOI 10.34172/hpp.025.43529

Data confidence 70 medium

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Abstract

The Alma Ata Declaration (1978) positioned primary healthcare (PHC) as central to universal health coverage (UHC). Post-independence Kazakhstan struggles with a fragmented healthcare system marked by high mortality, underfunding, and workforce shortages. Despite initiatives like "Kazakhstan 2050" and "Salamatty Kazakhstan," challenges persist: economic instability, unregulated private healthcare, high out-of-pocket costs, and rural disparities. While Kazakhstan achieved a 76% UHC index, advancing PHC quality, expanding health financing, and prioritizing rural access remain critical to achieving equitable UHC.