WHO Director-General candidate commends new directive by the President of Kazakhstan

WHO Regional Director for Europe and Belgium’s nominee for the post of WHO Director-General Hans Kluge has welcomed the decision by the President of Kazakhstan to increase the salaries of primary health care (PHC) district-based healthcare professionals. He shared his assessment on his personal X account, El.kz reports.

Investing in People

Kluge’s statement focused primarily on doctors and nurses who provide care to patients at outpatient healthcare facilities on a daily basis.

“Strong primary health care starts with supporting health workers. I warmly welcome the decision by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to strengthen the health workforce at the primary care level. This is an investment in those who are closest to communities: general practitioners, nurses and other primary health care professionals. They help prevent disease, identify risks at an early stage, manage patients with chronic conditions and ensure continuity of care,” Kluge wrote.

Presidential Directive

On October, 28 the Head of State delivered his Address to the Nation entitled “Key Priorities for Kazakhstan in a New Historical Cycle.” A separate section of the Address focused on primary health care.

“I instruct the Government to increase, effective January, 1 2027, the salaries of district-based primary health care professionals by up to 40 %, based on their continuous length of service. This measure will increase the incomes of over 77,000 people,” the President stated.

District-based primary health care teams include general practitioners, nurses, obstetrician-gynaecologists, midwives and feldshers. The amount of the salary increase will depend on the number of years each professional has served without interruption.

Half a Century of the Alma-Ata Declaration

Kluge linked the President’s decision to a landmark event that established Kazakhstan’s place in the history of global health.

“It is particularly encouraging that these measures are being taken ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Alma-Ata on Primary Health Care, which will be commemorated in 2028. It was in Kazakhstan, in 1978, that countries around the world proclaimed primary health care as the cornerstone of achieving Health for All. In 2018, this commitment was reaffirmed in Astana,” Kluge noted.