Post-conflict acute stress reactions in Kazakhstan in the aftermath of January 2022 unrests: A national survey.

Background: In January 2022 Kazakhstan experienced unprecedented nationwide protests that quickly turned to violent riots. Although the number of individuals affected physically by the disturbances were cited, the emotional toll of the events remains undetermined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative rates of acute stress reactions in Kazakhstan in the aftermath of the unrests. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based online survey was conducted one month after the start of the disturbances. The study questionnaire were completed anonymously and included the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), as well as socio-demographic and event exposure information. Results: Of the 7021 people who initially agreed to participate, 6510 were able to complete the full survey. For a cut-off of ≥3 on the PC-PTSD-5, 14.8 % of the study participants exhibited symptoms. With a cut-off of ≥4, this percentage reduced to 4.6 %. Participants from Almaty city and Almaty region who experienced the most extensive disturbances showed a doubled prevalence compared to the national level (30.0 % for a cut-off of ≥3, and 10.1 % for a cut-off of ≥4). At the national level, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, defined as a score of ≥10 on the GAD-7, stood at 10.9 %. This prevalence decreased to 4.2 % when considering a cut-off of ≥15. Conclusion: Health authorities of riot-affected areas ought to be aware of the population level mental health impact of the civil conflict and consider provision of targeted interventions to mitigate the long-term consequence of these lifespan disorders, while also seeking for the peaceful resolution of the ensuing conflicts.

Prevalence of Smoking Various Tobacco Types in the Kazakhstani Adult Population in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Tobacco use was the second-leading risk factor for death, accounting for 15.4% of total deaths in 2019. In 2019, 20.4% (2.7 million) of the adult population in Kazakhstan, 36.5% of men, and 6.0% of women smoked tobacco. A cross-sectional study of a random sample (n = 1201) was conducted between October and December 2021 in accordance with the STEPwise approach. The tobacco-use questions were focused on current and previous smoking status, initiation and duration of smoking, amount of tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke, and information related to quitting smoking. From 20.8% of smokers, 93.8% of men and 80.2% of women use tobacco products daily, χ2 = 10.983, p-score < 0.001. The earliest initiation of smoking was 6 years old. The prevalence of smoking tobacco products in Kazakhstan is 20.8%, which means that every fifth adult smokes. In addition, the proportion of smokers among men was 38.5%, and among women, it was 10.1%. A total of 93.8% of men and 80.2% of women smoked daily. The role of healthcare professionals in smoking prevention is very low, and only 16.9% of respondents have been advised to quit smoking in the last 12 months. New interventions for tobacco smoking prevention are urgently needed in Kazakhstan.

Anticipating the Need for Healthcare Resources Following the Escalation of the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

OBJECTIVES: The lack of advance planning in a public health emergency can lead to wasted resources and inadvertent loss of lives. This study is aimed at forecasting the needs for healthcare resources following the expansion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Republic of Kazakhstan, focusing on hospital beds, equipment, and the professional workforce in light of the developing epidemiological situation and the data on resources currently available. METHODS: We constructed a forecast model of the epidemiological scenario via the classic susceptible-exposed-infected-removed (SEIR) approach. The World Health Organization's COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool was used to evaluate the healthcare resources needed for the next 12 weeks. RESULTS: Over the forecast period, there will be 104 713.7 hospital admissions due to severe disease and 34 904.5 hospital admissions due to critical disease. This will require 47 247.7 beds for severe disease and 1929.9 beds for critical disease at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. There will also be high needs for all categories of healthcare workers and for both diagnostic and treatment equipment. Thus, Republic of Kazakhstan faces the need for a rapid increase in available healthcare resources and/or for finding ways to redistribute resources effectively. CONCLUSIONS: Republic of Kazakhstan will be able to reduce the rates of infections and deaths among its population by developing and following a consistent strategy targeting COVID-19 in a number of inter-related directions.