Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament Olga Perepechina met with Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
During the meeting the parties stressed the importance of the partnership between Kazakhstan and the World Health Organization and underlined the success and fruitfulness of the active development of the relations during 30 years. The Vice-Speaker of the Senate informed her interlocutor about the work being done in Kazakhstan to develop the health sector.
"One of the most important tasks for the coming period, the Head of State has set the health of the nation. Particular attention will be paid to the comprehensive improvement of the medical infrastructure. From the next year the implementation of the national project focused on the needs of rural residents will begin in the framework of which 32 regional hospitals will be modernized and transformed into inter-district multi-profile institutions. And within two years, medical and obstetric stations in 650 villages will be built and fully equipped," the Vice-Speaker noted.
In addition, the participants discussed the problems of the Aral Sea, which require joint efforts at the interregional level with the participation of international organizations.
The Vice-Speaker informed that the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his speech at the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly drew the participants' attention to the Aral Sea issues and called on all stakeholders to continue working to solve environmental and climate problems.
During the July Session of the OSCE PA, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan jointly appealed to the Organization's member states to become donors in implementing projects related to saving the Aral Sea.
"Next year, on the invitation of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, the deputies of the OSCE PA will visit the Aral Sea region to see with their own eyes the extent of the disaster and to identify areas for further cooperation. Kazakhstan appeals for assistance in uniting the efforts and resources of the WHO country offices under the aegis of the Regional Office for Europe in order to work out a unified approach to the study of the factors influencing the health of the Aral Sea region population," Olga Perepechina said.
Hans Kluge, Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, in his turn, praised the activities of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of building and coordinating the work to achieve the global goal of sustainable development on healthy lifestyles and promotion of well-being for all at all ages.
(Senate Press Service, 74-72-27. Photo by N. Baibulin)
