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Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity Rising in Tajikistan and Across Central Asia, Report Warns

The number of overweight and obese children in Tajikistan is increasing, raising concerns among international researchers who warn that the trend could lead to serious health problems at an early age and requires urgent preventive action. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2026, around 12,000 children aged 5-9 in Tajikistan are overweight or obese. Among adolescents aged 10-19, the figure is estimated at approximately 20,000. Researchers note that the consequences of an elevated body mass index can emerge early in life. Among affected children and adolescents, about 2,000 are estimated to show signs of hypertension, roughly 1,000 may have elevated blood glucose levels, around 3,000 may experience high triglyceride levels, and approximately 6,000 may suffer from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These findings indicate that health conditions traditionally associated with adulthood are increasingly being detected among younger age groups. Changing diets and early-life factors Experts identify several factors contributing to rising obesity rates, including dietary habits. On average, children aged 6-10 consume between 50 and 100 milliliters of sweetened beverages daily, increasing the risk of excessive weight gain. Early childhood nutrition also plays an important role. The rate of incomplete breastfeeding among infants aged 1-5 months reaches 71.3%, which researchers suggest may raise the likelihood of obesity later in life. Maternal health is another significant factor. The report estimates that around 23% of women aged 15-49 in Tajikistan are overweight, while the prevalence of diabetes in this group is approximately 1.5%. Experts stress that maternal health and early nutrition have long-term effects on children’s metabolic risks. Regional trends Similar patterns are emerging across Central Asia. The study indicates that Kazakhstan has comparatively higher rates of childhood overweight and obesity, while Uzbekistan also faces a substantial share of affected children. In Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, the situation remains less severe but is gradually worsening, according to researchers. One of the main drivers identified is a shift in dietary patterns. Rising consumption of sugar, sweetened beverages, and ultra-processed foods is associated with urbanization, lifestyle changes, and increased availability of high-calorie products. Regional governments have begun to respond. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, authorities in Kyrgyzstan recently approved higher excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, including products marketed to children.

Health

How Kazakhstan Once Again Finds Itself Vulnerable to Measles

Kazakhstan is once again experiencing a rise in measles cases. According to the Ministry of Health, nearly 2,000 infections were registered between the beginning of the year and February 5, accounting for almost half of the total recorded in 2024. Analysts at Energyprom.kz attribute the renewed outbreak to systemic gaps in prevention and declining vaccination coverage. Over the past decade, measles incidence in Kazakhstan has fluctuated significantly. In 2017, 2021, and 2022, the country reported only isolated cases and was considered close to eliminating the disease. However, the situation deteriorated sharply in 2023-2024. In 2023, reported cases surged to 29,700. The peak incidence rate occurred in 2023-2024, reaching 149.4 cases per 100,000 people. For comparison, in 2021-2022 incidence was minimal, and in 2024 it stood at 20.8 per 100,000. Experts cite the growing proportion of unvaccinated individuals as the primary driver of the new wave. According to official data, 79% of those infected since the beginning of the year had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. A further 8% were children who had received only the first dose and had not yet reached the age of six, when the second dose is administered. More than 59% of unvaccinated individuals are children whose parents declined immunization, reportedly influenced by anti-vaccination beliefs. Health specialists warn that unvaccinated children face a significantly higher risk of severe complications and long-term immune suppression. One of the most serious complications, measles encephalitis, remains difficult to treat effectively. At the same time, vaccination does not guarantee absolute protection. Approximately 10% of those infected had received both recommended doses. However, epidemiologists emphasize that vaccines are most effective when herd immunity is maintained at sufficiently high levels. “People have stopped fearing infection. Our parents’ generation saw the consequences of these diseases and understood the risks. Today there is no mass mortality from such infections, and some people fear vaccines more than the diseases themselves. In fact, vaccines are safe,” said Nurshay Azimbayeva, head of the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control at the Ministry of Health. To maintain herd immunity against measles, vaccination coverage must reach at least 95%. In recent years, however, Kazakhstan has fallen short of that threshold. Among children under two years of age, first-dose coverage has declined to 92.7%. The lowest revaccination rates were recorded in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at 90.7%, and again in 2024, at 92.5%. Data for 2025 has not yet been published. As a result, Kazakhstan is among the countries that have experienced setbacks in measles immunization coverage between 2005 and 2024. Other countries on this list include Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Mexico, Moldova, Finland, the Netherlands, and Japan. Globally, the long-term trend has been upward. According to data compiled by Our World in Data, average global coverage for the first dose of the measles vaccine increased from 77% to 84% over the past two decades. Within Central Asia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan report first-dose coverage of 99% among one-year-olds. Belarus and Tajikistan report 98%, while Russia reports 97%....

Healthcare regulation

Kazakhstan Moves to Regulate Chinese Medicine Clinics

Amanzhol Altai, a deputy of the Mazhilis, has submitted a formal request to the Ministry of Health proposing tighter oversight of centers operating under labels such as “Eastern medicine,” “Chinese medicine,” “acupuncture,” and “manual therapy.” The central proposal is the creation of an open digital register of such institutions, particularly those involving foreign specialists. According to the deputy, he regularly receives complaints from citizens about the provision of medical services without proper licenses or verified qualifications, the performance of invasive procedures in violation of sanitary standards, the use of unregistered medicines, and misleading advertising that promises to “cure” serious illnesses. Altai also said that some centers operate for only short periods before changing their names or addresses in order to evade oversight. Of particular concern, he noted, are cases in which foreign nationals without confirmed medical education present themselves as doctors. “We are talking about citizens of the People's Republic of China who present themselves as qualified specialists, see patients for several months, and then close the center and leave the country,” the deputy said. In his view, such practices pose a direct threat to patients’ life and health and undermine trust in the healthcare system. At the same time, some services offered under the branding of “traditional Chinese medicine” are classified as medical activities under Kazakh law and therefore require licensing, certified qualifications, and compliance with established regulatory standards. In this context, Altai proposes not only establishing a digital register of these organizations but also issuing official legal clarifications on the status of such services, strengthening interagency control over the circulation of unregistered medicines, and tightening oversight of online advertising for these centers. The Times of Central Asia previously reported on the risks of drug shortages in Kazakhstan amid proposed changes to tax policy.

Health

Kazakhstan Sees Growth in Urban Cancer Cases

The incidence of cancer has risen in Kazakhstan’s cities, while rural areas have seen a decline, according to Energyprom.kz, which cited data from the Ministry of Health. In 2024, cancer incidence in urban areas reached 239.2 cases per 100,000 people, up from 230 the previous year. The highest rates, exceeding the national average, were recorded in the Karaganda region (353.5 per 100,000), Kostanay region (352.7), East Kazakhstan region (349.4), and Abay region (302.4). Environmental factors are believed to contribute. Karaganda, the hub of Kazakhstan’s coal and metallurgical industries, was ranked the world’s third most polluted city in 2024, according to the World Air Quality Report by IQAir. By contrast, cancer incidence in rural areas decreased to 147.1 per 100,000 people in 2024, down from 173.8 in 2023. Regional Data The total number of cancer patients in Kazakhstan reached 230,900 in 2024, an increase of 12,800, or 5.8%, compared to the previous year. Almaty, the country’s largest city, recorded the highest number of patients: 34,200. However, its incidence rate per 100,000 people was slightly below the national average. Karaganda region ranked second with 21,400 patients. Astana followed with 16,800. In 2024, 41,300 people in Kazakhstan were diagnosed with cancer for the first time. The largest numbers of new cases were in Almaty (5,200), Karaganda region (3,800), and Astana (3,000). Medical statistics also showed that the rate of primary diagnoses declined slightly, from 208.6 to 204.8 per 100,000 people. Kazakhstan in Regional Contex Within Central Asia, Kazakhstan has the highest cancer incidence, followed by: Kyrgyzstan - 86 per 100,000 Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - 74.1 Tajikistan - 32.1 The cancer mortality rate in Kazakhstan also rose in 2024, from 65.1 to 68 deaths per 100,000 people. Measures to Combat Cancer To expand treatment access, Kazakhstan has launched domestic production of oncological drugs. In October 2024, Swiss pharmaceutical company F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., in partnership with Nobel Almaty Pharmaceutical Factory JSC, began producing three biotechnological medicines in Almaty for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form affecting up to 20% of breast cancer patients in Kazakhstan. Each year, around 5,000 new cases of breast cancer are registered in the country, with about 1,200 resulting in death.

Poverty

Central Asia Cuts Hunger Fivefold in Two Decades, FAO Reports

The number of people facing hunger in Central Asia has fallen sharply over the past two decades, according to a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The share of the population suffering from undernourishment dropped from 13.1% in 2005 to just 2.8% in 2024, equivalent to a decline from 7.8 million people to 2.3 million. Much of this progress was achieved before 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted that trend: between 2020 and 2021, undernourishment rose to 2.5 million. However, with the introduction of stronger food security policies and an economic rebound, the region has since regained positive momentum. The FAO report notes that a healthy diet in Central Asia now costs an average of $3.78 per person per day. While this is below the global average of $4.46, it remains unaffordable for many low-income households, particularly in rural Tajikistan. In 2024, FAO estimates that approximately 14% of the region’s population, roughly 11.5 million people, still could not afford a balanced diet. Child health indicators have also improved. The prevalence of stunting among children under five has halved since 2012, falling from 14.8% to 7.4%. Rates of acute malnutrition have also declined, and childhood obesity rates have decreased slightly. Nonetheless, persistent challenges remain: anemia affects about one-third of women of reproductive age, and adult obesity is on the rise, increasing from 18.8% to 25.1% over the past decade. In 2024, Tajikistan remained the most food-insecure country in the former Soviet Union. According to the Global Hunger Index published by the International Food Policy Research Institute, 8.7% of its population faces food shortages, placing the country 65th out of 127 worldwide. In a sign of regional engagement, Uzbekistan officially joined the Global Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty in December 2024, reinforcing its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and to global cooperation on food security.

Health

Maternal Mortality Continues to Decline in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has ranked among the top 10 countries globally in terms of reducing maternal mortality rates, according to the World Health Organization. Over the past decade, Kazakhstan's maternal mortality rate has dropped significantly, reaching 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024. This progress comes despite a temporary spike in maternal deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three regions -- Pavlodar (northeast), Mangistau (west), and North Kazakhstan -- reported zero maternal deaths in 2024. Additionally, 99.9% of births across the country were attended by qualified medical personnel, reflecting widespread access to professional maternal healthcare. Steady Progress with Regional Disparities The Ministry of Health reported the following annual maternal mortality figures: 2020: 200 cases 2021: 70 cases 2022: 45 cases 2024: 37 cases Despite the national downward trend, 10 regions have seen a slight rise in maternal deaths over the past six years. In 2024, 54% of maternal deaths occurred in urban areas, with 46% in rural settings. A troubling development is the rise in mortality among women with four or more children, which left 97 children orphaned last year. Nonetheless, the current maternal mortality rate is the lowest recorded in Kazakhstan's post-Soviet history. In 1992, the rate stood at 76.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. Regional Leadership in Maternal Health As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is actively sharing its expertise in maternal and child health with neighboring countries, contributing to broader regional health development efforts.