Health-care Accessibility Assessment in Kazakhstan

BACKGROUND: Global health initiatives such as health for all and universal health coverage aim to improve access to health care. These goals require constant comprehensive monitoring to eliminate inequalities in the availability of health care. AIM: The purpose of our study was to assess the physical availability of medical care in Kazakhstan. METHODS: A descriptive study based on a Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) general availability index calculation that used secondary data as a source of information. RESULTS: The general availability index calculated for the regions of Kazakhstan ranged from 95% to 100%. When considering individual indicators of the index, decrease trends of the volume of inpatient care were identified. Outpatient care had fluctuations with values better than benchmark after 2009. Stable upward trend illustrates positive picture of core health personnel. CONCLUSION: According to the SARA availability index, it can be concluded that health care in Kazakhstan exceeds the threshold values and is available in all regions. Trends for individual indicators of the index should be studied in more detail, taking into account the influence of health policy and other factors.