ASTANA — Kazakhstan has chaired Committee A of the World Health Assembly (WHA) for the first time, reflecting its increasingly active role in shaping the global health agenda.

World Health Organization (WHO) logo. Photo credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Kazakh Deputy Healthcare Minister Timur Sultangaziyev was elected chair of one of the WHA’s two main committees, which oversees discussions on major international health issues, including pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage, artificial intelligence in medicine, antimicrobial resistance, mental health, and healthcare digitalization.

The committee opened with discussions on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and its annexes, one of the most closely watched topics on the global health agenda. More than 60 countries backed continued negotiations aimed at reaching consensus through solidarity and mutual trust, the ministry’s press service reported on May 20.

Developing countries stressed equitable access to pathogens, technologies, and scientific data, while developed nations focused on creating an effective international mechanism to respond to future pandemics.

Kazakhstan used the platform to present its efforts to strengthen primary healthcare, expand telemedicine and mobile medicine services, and improve access to care in remote communities.

“For Kazakhstan, as for many countries, ensuring equal access to medical care for people living in remote communities remains a pressing challenge,” Sultangaziyev said.

Kazakhstan’s primary healthcare network includes around 5,000 organizations, more than 4,000 of which serve rural and remote areas. The country has also introduced support measures for healthcare workers relocating to the regions.