"The future of healthcare: exchange of Swedish and Kazakh experiences in managing the healthcare system" round table was held in Astana with participation of Kazakhstan Ministry of Health and Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. The event was organized by the Embassy of Sweden in Kazakhstan and the Swedish semigovernmental Trade and Investment Council Business Sweden supported by AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company.
The main purpose of the round table was the bilateral exchange of experience and knowledge accumulated by Kazakhstan and Sweden in key areas of healthcare organization for the past decades. Both countries face similar challenges in balancing the needs of healthcare with the growing costs and complexity of innovative treatment options and working on solutions answering the unmet needs of patients using innovative medical technologies.
The organizers plan to host such events on an annual basis to serve the important purpose of business interaction and presentation of countries capabilities for the investors from both countries. Sweden is already involved in medical and digital healthcare projects of Kazakhstan. With the signing of memorandum between Мinistry of Healthcare and AstraZeneca on long-term cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals and healthcare in February this year, Swedish business will also become an investor in the all-important local pharmaceutical industry.
This round table has established the basis for the future visit later this year to Sweden of the high-level delegation in healthcare of Kazakhstan for a week-long program on digital healthcare and rural healthcare, hosted by the WHO and the Swedish Government. Kazakhstan will be one of the very first countries invited by the WHO to participate in the healthcare experience exchange program in Sweden.
The event was opened with welcome speeh by Beibut Yessenbayev, Vice-Minister of Healthcare of Kazakhstan, Ewa Polano, Ambassador of Sweden in Kazakhstan and Dr. Skender Syla, Head of Office of the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan. Guests were also addressed by Mattias Lindgren, Ph.D., Eurasia Market Region Director, Business Sweden.
Irene Nilsson Carlsson, Senior Public Health Adviser, Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, delivered a presentation at the round table which was followed by the open and thought provoking discussion by the chief Kazakhstan healthcare regulators from the Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Control Committee, National Center of Drugs and Medical Devices Expertise as well as questions from the audience, representing other regulating government bodies of Kazakhstan, and experts from the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare sector of Sweden and Kazakhstan.
The meeting was supported by the international biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca which is deeply rooted in the history of Swedish innovations with more than a century of experience in development of innovative and life-saving medicines. Although AstraZeneca is now present in more than 100 countries worldwide, the place of foundation, Södertälje, Sweden, still proudly hosts one of the major industrial and drug development sites of AstraZeneca.
Ewa Ulrika Polano, Ambassador of Sweden in Kazakhstan, commented: "The Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Sweden have enjoyed bilateral diplomatic relations for more than 30 years. This primarily reflects strong friendship ties and mutually beneficial cooperation in many areas. With the high ambitions which President Tokayev has launched for the New Kazakhstan, Sweden is eager to present itself as a strong partner. One key area is health care. I am extra proud to inform that during the last year we have seen a strong development in the bilateral exchange with Kazakhstan in health care. Today’s knowledge sharing seminar on the future of health care is an excellent example. The projects and program we are now initiating will culminate in a very important visit to Sweden by the Minister of Health of Kazakhstan H.E Azhar Giniyat, invited by both her ministerial colleague in Sweden and also by the WHO. During this ministerial visit, scheduled for November this year, focus shall be on digital health systems and rural health. Other areas on the agenda where Sweden right now is looking into partnership with Kazakhstan are dialysis and cancer treatment. It is the aim of the Embassy to initiate as well bilateral cooperation between the Swedish and Kazakh universities, which can benefit both nations, especially since Sweden is a global leader in R & D, Research and Development ,and the triple helix model. An excellent example is Astra Zeneca, one of the strongest companies in the world in innovative, life-saving medicines and medical technologies. I am very happy with the outcome of today’s round table and look forward to further develop this with the important stake holders in the health care area in Kazakhstan.”
Alexander Tarishkin, GM AstraZeneca Kazakhstan noted: "The interaction between Kazakhstan and Sweden on health issues is not just mere words. Having its Swedish roots, AstraZeneca is a successful example of such cooperation. Our goal is to improve access to the innovative methods of diagnostics and treatment for patients in both countries. Localization project in Kazakhstan, introduction of modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods into clinical practice and digitalization of healthcare are priority tasks for us in this context."
