Kazakh epidemiologists return from international health meetings

20:38, 3 April 2012

ASTANA. April 3. KAZINFORM The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Central Asian Regional Office (CDC/CAR) sponsored the participation of local epidemiologists in the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases held March 11-14, in Atlanta, USA, and the XIV International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections held March 23-26, in Istanbul, Turkey.

In Atlanta, Drs. Kamila Orazova (Aktau), Saulet Kapsalamova (Taldykurgan), Galiya Makhmetova (Astana), and Gulbakhyt Naurzalina (Uralsk) made presentations concerning their work within the joint Ministry of Health (MOH)/CDC sentinel surveillance system for influenza. Each influenza season, this system tracks the level of illness due to influenza occurring in Kazakhstan and the types of viruses causing illness. Dr. A. Kuatbayeva, of the Scientific and Practical Center for Sanitary Epidemiological Expertise and Monitoring (SPC "SEEM"), MOH, presented the newly instituted Flu Electronic Surveillance Project within the sentinel surveillance system, while the Kazakh delegation was led by Dr. V. Sheyanov, SPC "SEEM", the press release of the US Diploamtic Mission to kazakhstan reads.

In Istanbul, Dr. Gaukhar Nukenova presented "Sentinel Surveillance of Influenza-Like Illnesses (ILI) in the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2008-2011." The presentation was recognized as one of the best at the Conference by Prof. A. Osterhaus (Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands). Dr. Nukenova is a graduate of the CDC/CAR Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), the two-year Central Asia program that trains doctors and veterinarians in epidemiology, i.e., the study of why disease occurs in populations.

To learn more see http://kazakhstan.usembassy.gov/index.html

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