Kazakhstan has joined 9 other Member States of the WHO European Region in reaching the 2025 Global Monitoring Framework target of reducing premature noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) mortality by 25% – becoming the first central Asian country to achieve this milestone. A new report by WHO/Europe highlights the country’s experience while providing new data on NCDs across the Region.
The report, “Avoidable mortality, risk factors and policies for tackling noncommunicable diseases – leveraging data for impact”, explores the policies and strategies that have enabled Kazakhstan to strengthen its national health system – particularly in the areas of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Through a focus on prevention, early detection, improved treatment and higher survival rates, Kazakhstan is setting an example in the Region for tackling 2 of the most pressing threats to people’s health.
“WHO/Europe is collaborating with Kazakhstan to address the major drivers of NCD mortality,” said Dr Gundo Weiler, Director for Prevention and Health Promotion at WHO/Europe. “The country has taken wide-ranging policy actions, from investing in nationwide stroke and cardiac care centres to tackling tobacco use and reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. These efforts are already having a positive impact on people’s health”.
Protecting people from strokes and heart attacks
NCDs – including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes – are the biggest health threat in the European Region, accounting for 90% of all deaths there. Many of these deaths can be prevented by data-driven policies and targeted interventions.
“Kazakhstan has fully implemented 50% of WHO-recommended policies to address NCDs, as reflected in progress monitoring indicators, and has partially implemented another 36%. I also congratulate Kazakhstan on conducting the STEPS survey for the first time – WHO’s gold-standard tool for measuring the prevalence of NCDs and their risk factors. This marks a major step forward in ensuring the availability of high quality, internationally comparable data to inform national health action,” added Dr Weiler.
Recognizing the high burden of cardiovascular diseases, Kazakhstan has made major investments in specialized cardiac care and stroke centres across the country. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of catheterization laboratories providing lifesaving heart interventions increased significantly from 31 to 49 nationwide. The 83 stroke emergency centres operating in different parts of the country, allowed for a significant reduction in mortality and disability following strokes – critical emergencies where timely medical intervention is key to saving lives and improving outcomes.
Kazakhstan has also achieved success in advanced surgeries, including heart and lung transplants, becoming a leader in this field among central Asian countries. Since 2012, more than 600 ventricular assist devices supporting the heart’s pump function, have been successfully implanted.
In 2025, the country’s cardiac surgery community celebrated a major milestone — the 100th heart transplant in Kazakhstan.
Early detection and screening
Kazakhstan has expanded its screening programmes to detect NCDs at early stages. As part of the national health system, screenings cover 8 diseases, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and several types of cancer.
In 2024 alone, Kazakhstan achieved impressive coverage in screenings for breast and colorectal cancers, reaching 70% of target populations – among the best outcomes in the country’s history.
“Early diagnosis, timely medical intervention and patient support remain top priorities in Kazakhstan’s national health programme, driving progress in public health outcomes,” explained Dr Timur Sultangaziyev, First Vice-minister of Health of Kazakhstan.
“As of 2023, life expectancy in the country has risen to 75.09 years, up from 74.44 in 2022. Mortality rates have also shown improvement – after peaking at 9.6 per 1000 people in 2021, the rate has steadily declined to 6.5 in both 2023 and 2024.”
Additionally, the introduction of testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) aims to strengthen early detection efforts for cervical cancer, underscoring Kazakhstan’s commitment to aligning health-care practices with global standards. In September 2024, Kazakhstan launched a national HPV vaccination campaign targeting 11-year-old girls and catch-up vaccination for 12–13-year-old girls. By January 2025, over 116 000 girls (33.4% of the target) had been vaccinated, marking a significant step towards protecting future generations from cervical cancer.
Reducing NCD risk factors: tobacco use and unhealthy diets
Beyond medical interventions, Kazakhstan has focused on addressing key risk factors for NCDs, including tobacco use, unhealthy diets and excessive sugar consumption.
The country has implemented some of the strongest tobacco control measures in the post-Soviet region. Key policies include a public smoking ban, graphic health warnings on tobacco product packaging, tax hikes, restrictions on tobacco display and sales, and a complete ban on e-cigarettes and vapes. These measures have led to a notable decline in smoking prevalence over the past decade that is now estimated at around 20%.
Additionally, Kazakhstan has taken important steps to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), a known contributor to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Significant steps include a ban on the sale of SSBs in schools and a 2024 law that prohibits the sale of energy drinks to individuals under the age of 21.
Collaboration with WHO/Europe and next steps
Despite this encouraging progress, there are still areas where action is needed. “For now, policies on salt reduction and marketing restrictions of unhealthy products for children are barely present in Kazakhstan, while regulations on breast milk substitutes and trans fats are only partially implemented. That’s what the government is planning to address in the future to strengthen NCD policies,” said Dr Sultangaziyev.
“The collaboration with WHO/Europe has been instrumental in shaping Kazakhstan’s NCD prevention and treatment strategies,” he added.
With a strong commitment to data-driven policies, the country continues to invest in its cancer registries and health information systems – key tools for evidence-informed decision-making and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO second European Programme of Work 2026–2030.
Continued investment in NCD prevention and control, innovation, and international collaboration will be essential for sustaining this positive momentum.