World Health Assembly:

The World Health Assembly approved Kazakhstan's Operational Framework for Primary Health Care (PHC).

On November 12, 2020, World Health Assembly – the highest governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO) - approved the "Operational Framework for Primary Health Care designed to implement provisions of the Astana Declaration on PHC 2018", the message reported on Monday.

"Ultimate goal of primary health care is to improve health for all people and enhance health systems through strengthening PHC. This is very important now that the coronavirus pandemic has spread all over the world. WHO, together with Kazakhstan, has identified five key elements for achieving this goal. These include reducing isolation and social inequalities in health care (reforms to ensure universal coverage).organizing health services focused on people's needs and expectations (reforms in service delivery), as well as integrating health aspects into all sectors (public policy reforms), conducting political dialogue in accordance with cooperation models (leadership reforms) and increasing participation of interested parties", the Ministry of Healthcare stated.

In his report, first Vice-Minister of Healthcare of Kazakhstan Marat Shoranov invited WHO member states to participate in the event dedicated to the launch of the PHC Operational Framework at the end of November 2020.

"Participation in the event will help countries start implementing comprehensive tools to strengthen their health systems. Kazakhstan also proposed that countries join the PHC Group of Friends to integrate efforts and further strengthen PHC at the global level. The call for countries to "ensure health for all, leaving no one behind", announced in the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, is particularly relevant during the coronavirus pandemic. PHC is a key process in the healthcare system and provides affordable, continuous, high-quality medical care that is provided at the first contact points of patient and medical worker, and is focused on the needs of patients of all ages", the report says.

Document of Operational Framework for Primary Health Care was adopted at the 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly. It was supported by 194 states.

The 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly, convened for the first time in a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, held its meetings on a reduced agenda on May 18-19, 2020. Its work was resumed and took place from 9 to 14 November.