Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health plans to transition school preventive medical examinations to a digital format and strengthen the early detection of health issues among children, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the ministry.
Speaking at the meeting, Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova said the current approach to preventive medical checkups for schoolchildren remains largely formal, with priority given to quantitative targets rather than high-quality diagnostics.
To improve the system, the ministry is proposing a comprehensive set of measures, including modernization of the current screening model, the use of digital technologies to process examination results, and the transfer of certain functions to mid-level medical staff.
A shortage of specialized doctors and the heavy workload on medical staff lead to shorter examination times per child, superficial diagnostics, and low rates of detecting health disorders. Another issue is the insufficient monitoring of children with special educational needs and children with disabilities," said Magripa Yembergenova, director of the department for maternal and child health protection.
To strengthen preventive healthcare for children, schools will be equipped with digital electrocardiographs, pulse oximeters, height-and-weight measurement systems, otoscopes, and telemedicine solutions featuring automated data transmission.
According to the ministry, schools may later also receive intraoral cameras, plantographs, and autorefractors.
The minister instructed officials to ensure the full digitalization of children’s preventive medical examinations and integrate all data into the Ministry of Health’s information systems through the creation of electronic child health passports.
All data related to children’s health must be systematically accumulated, analyzed, and monitored throughout a person’s life. This will ensure continuity in medical observation and improve the effectiveness of early disease detection," Akmaral Alnazarova emphasized.
The minister also instructed authorities to begin the phased introduction of the updated format of preventive examinations and school healthcare in all schools across the country starting September 1, 2026.
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