40% of Kazakhstan's population suffer from allergies

During the III annual research-to-practice conference titled as "Interdisciplinary Issues of Allergology and Immunology," held in Astana with the participation of allergologists from Kazakhstan, Spain, Türkiye, Ukraine, Germany, India, and Russia, new mechanisms for the prevention of allergic diseases were discussed.

"The most pressing issue is the annual rise in allergic and immune system diseases. In the early 2000s, the incidence was 5%, and now the number of allergy patients has reached 40%. However, there are also unreported cases. Many patients are unable to see allergists and immunologists, so they turn to other healthcare professionals instead," said Galiya Tussubekova, chief allergist-immunologist of the Medical Center Hospital of the President's Affairs Administration.

Kazakhstan faces shortage of alergy specialists. There are only some 200 specialists across the country, with around 60 working in public clinics. In Astana, the number of allergists is fewer than 25. Despite this, foreign specialists highly praise the potential of Kazakhstan's allergists.

"Although there are few qualified doctors in Kazakhstan, the quality of care is estimated as high. In my opinion, all countries are equally fighting allergies, and the treatment methods are similar. Of course, there may be differences among doctors in individual treatment plans, but through such conferences, we exchange ideas.  By organizing various workshops we contribute to enhancing the skills of professionals in this field," said Daria Fomina, an allergist-immunologist from Russia.

The two-day event featured academic conferences, discussions between Kazakh and foreign experts  on the most pressing issues in allergology and immunology. Additionally, workshops on the latest achievements in allergy diagnostics and treatment and  in congenital immune system defects  were organized.

Previously, it was reported that cases of acute respiratory viral infections had risen in the Kostanay region.