The rates of children’s disability and traumatism in Kazakhstan by January 1, 2008.

By January 1, 2008 in the Republic of Kazakhstan 43 472 children under 16 years of age were on disability registration. Among them 4241 children were under 3 years of age (in 2006 year 45 622 children were registered). Within the structure of children’s disability the main problem was belonged to nervous system diseases (32%), from them the cases of cerebral spastic infantile paralysis (CSIP) had 19%. Congenital anomalies (malformations), deformities and chromosomal derangements were on the second place (25%). Mental and behavior disorders took the third place (14 %). The following places were taken by disabilities of chronic forms of diseases, such as diseases of eye and its appendages, ear diseases, metabolism diseases (including diabetes mellitus and enzymatic insufficiency), respiratory apparatus pathologies (bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive lungs diseases), cardiovascular system’s and blood diseases, connective tissues diffusive diseases (collagenouses) and chronic renal insufficiency. According to information of the head out-of-stuff children’s traumatic surgeon of the Ministry of Public Health of RK, the rate of children’s traumatism in Kazakhstan has increases on more than 5% for the last five years: from 1990,8 in 2003 to 2246,9 in 2007 year for 100 thousands of children’s population. At the structure of children’s traumas 49% of cases are domestic, 27% – street, 4% – traffic, then school traumas – 6.2%, sport – 5.2% and all the others – 9%.
For solution of the problems of invalids’ medical rehabilitation the Ministry of Public Health sets the following goals:
1. Realization of medical rehabilitation of invalids in accordance with individual rehabilitation programs;
2. Guaranteeing of professional training and re-training of specialists in the sphere of medical-social expertise.
In whole all invalids, including children-invalids, are given with guaranteed volume of free medical assistance. At the same time it is necessary to note that a volume of free guaranteed medical assistance has been reviewing and growing every year. Children with disabling pathology (diabetes, oncological haematology, haemophilia, bronchial asthma etc.) are totally provided with free medicines at the expense of the Republic budget.
The Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan has a close collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Defense of the population of Kazakhstan as well as with the other ministries and agencies, interested in solution of actual invalid’s problems.
In the Republic of Kazakhstan there are functioning 27 orphanages. Among them 26 orphanages belong to the system of Public Health and one orphanage – to the system of Education (in Taraz). 17 (63%) orphanages are specialized, 7(25%) have specialized groups for children with affected central nervous system. In orphanages children-orphans and children, who remained without parents’ care, get upbringing and medical assistance. There are set up necessary conditions for life preservation and harmonious development of children.
Every year about 2000 children enter orphanages. By January 1, 2008 in orphanages there are 1963 children under 4 years of age on social care. From the whole number of children, 74,4% are orphans, the rest children have parents.
The Ministry of Public Health took a number of organizational measures on defense of rights and interests of children-orphans and children, who remained without parents’ care. For regulation of orphanages’ activity the Ministry of Public Health has worked out and confirmed an order N228 “Of confirmation of the Rules of orphanages activity organization and the Rules of children’s reception to and discharging from it” from June 6, 2000. Some revisions and additions were introduced to this order.
From the year 2002, on initiative of the first lady of the Republic of Kazakhstan S. Nazarbayeva, the groups “Umit» have been organized and functioning under the orphanages of the Republic. The aim of these groups creation is prevention from orphanhood, owing to creation of conditions, appropriate for communication of children, who are bringing up in such institutions temporarily, and whose mothers faced with difficult life situations.
In addition, for rendering of psychological assistance to women, been faced with difficult social-economical situation, in the state of obstetrical organizations of Public Health there was introduced a position of psychologist, trained for solution of family and marriage problems. The essential goal of psychologist’s work is also prevention from orphanhood.
According to the results of the year 2007, from the number of children who left orphanages: 1171 children (59.6)% were adopted, 538 children (27.4%) were returned to parents, 301 children (15.3%) were transferred to educational institutions; 64 (3.2%) were transferred to social defense institutions; 42 (2.1) have died.
According to the results of prophylactic examinations of the year 2007, the analysis of children’s morbidity at orphanages indicate that more than a half of children (52%) have a lag in psychic development, about 40% have a lag in physical development, more than 25% of children suffer from diverse levels of anemia, 16.7% have various forms of nourishment disorders, 9% of children suffer from rachitis of II-III stages. At the same time the major part of children have such problems in the aggregate with a lot of development defects, hereditary and genetic diseases with serious CNS affection.
It is necessary to note that all medical assistance to children has been rendering within the bounds of guaranteed volume of medical assistance and totally free. By indications children, in determinate order, get stationary treatment at territorial or Republic medical and rehabilitation institutions. In addition, children’s health improvement has been conducting straight at places with room of remedial gymnastics and massage and physio-cabinets.