Impact of the grants on Medical Science in Kazakhstan

Section written by Altynshash Jaxybayeva

The remain result of 25 years of joint work with the Jepa-Limmat Foundation is that there are 30 well-trained doctors now active within the Kazakh  medical field. Many of them have become specialists in their field and have pioneered cooperation projects with specialists from other fields and neighboring countries like Uzbekistan. Examples of activities sparked by grantees of the Foundation are highlighted below:

• Kazakh Child Neurology Association, which is now headed by Marzhan Lepessova, is conducting every two years conferences on child neurology mainly focused on Central Asian Republics. The most recent Conference was held in Almaty in November 3-4, 2022 and devoted to new approaches to multidisciplinary care for different neurological conditions. The Association has created a website (www.kazchildneuro.org) for better distribution of new information about activity and promotion of new knowledge and some practical information.
• A local Society of Pediatric Neurologists, Neurophysiologists, Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists was organized in Astana by Dr. Altynshash Jaxybayeva (www.neurosite.kz) . The Society is providing an educational and research activity together with Department of Neurology in Astana Medical University. Most interesting things and achievements in the field of pediatric neurology in Kazakhstan were done thanks to interaction with international pediatric societies like International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), European Pediatric Neurology Society (EPNS).
• This year former student of Jepa Foundation Dr. Jaxybayeva became a member of Executive Board for EPNS and tried to expand international connections and development of pediatric neurology education between countries. A most important publication for Kazakhstani pediatric neurologists was presented in an open Journal as Frontiers of Neurology. Ot highlighted a genomic investigation of Epileptic Encephalopathies af children as an urgent priority for Kazakhstan (https://www.frontiersin.org).
• The alumni of 2012 Dr. Agzam Zhumadilov is working as a Deputy Director of the National Center for Emergency care. He is also became a President of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Association and is providing annual conferences in his field.
• The alumni of 2013 Dr. Aizhan Galiyeva is working as ENT specialist and tried to develop ENT care for yearly aged kids in Kazakhstan. She was one of the author of national hearing screening program, which is implementing by Ministry of Health.
• The alumni of 2013 Dr. Dinara Baiguissova became the Chief Radiologist of Almaty city and Head of the Radiology Department of the National Scientific Center of Surgery.
• Dr. Sanzhar Shalekenov, alumni of 2010, is became a deputy director at National Oncology Center in Astana.
• Dr. Lyazzat Baigaziyeva a doctor from Astana Medical University had a training in Bambino Gesù Hospital at prof. Federico Vigevano Department. During her stay in Rome, she took an opportunity take part at well-known training course on resistant epilepsy in Tagliacozzo endorsed by International League against Epilepsy and provided by prof. Vigevano. Now she is working as a senior teacher at the Department of neurology at Astana Medical University.
• Dr. Alisa Nauryzbayeva (alumni of Foundation at 2018) is working now as a Head of the Neurology Department at University Medical Center (National Research Center for Mother and Child).
• At the beginning of 2019 Dr. Olga Luksha from Astana City hospital N1, had a very short stay in Bambino Gesù Hospital. In addition, due to Covid 19 pandemy she abruptly had to interrupt her training. Nevertheless, she benefitted from exposure to advanced knowledge in epileptology.
• Dr. Bagila Nurmagambetova together with Dr. Altynshash Jaxybayeva in 2021 were first to make a gene replacement therapy for children with spinal muscular atrophy from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. This type of therapy was done first time in Central Asian region, after which more kids with SMA already were treated.
• In 2022 Dr. Assel Abilkhadirova from Astana, a pediatric neurologist from UMC, National Research Center for Mother and Child health is studying at La Sapienza University at Prof. Vincenzo Leuzzi Department. She is also involving in the treatment of very severe kids with neurodegenerative diseases and neuro-muscular diseases.
• Development of the cooperation with private educational foundations allowed improving and spreading knowledge and establishing sustainable development of people who like to make changes at their life and environment. Notwithstanding the pandemic during last two years, which limitated traveling, we continued to work and interact with our colleagues from different countries. WE are now discussing a new project, to be proposed to Jepa Foundation together with Dr. Latina Tekebayeva. The new idea is to establish a special school for children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other behavior deviations). There are increasing amount of children who have a learning problems at normal school due to behavioral alterations. They have problems in following academic classes, but have no intellectual impairment. We shall try to prevent their asocial development and get them be included to normal social adulthood life. To this end, we plan a special assessment of the kinds at pre-school and elementary school age. The second stage of this project will be establishment of special assessment or testing kids in Almaty and development special educational program for them and implementation of special educational program or approach to usual school.
• Detailed studies of our students were presented in numerous articles in the medical literature, and are included in the Archive along with a detailed chronology.
• In 2016 an hospital named Mather and Child Washington was inaugurated in Astana, sponsored by the Govermment.

In 2006 Prof. Ciferri was an invited honorary guest at International Conference on Surgery being held in Almaty. During that Conference he was elected Honorary Academician by the Kazakh Academy of Medical Science in recognition of the contributions made by the Jepa and the Jepa-Limmat Foundations to the development of medical science in Kazakhstan