Climate change poses a direct threat to public health by increasing the risks of infectious disease transmission and antimicrobial resistance, Kazakh Healthcare Minister Akmaral Alnazarova said, Qazinform News Agency reports. The minister took the floor during the high-level panel discussion, “ Climate-Oriented Health Technologies and Ensuring Access to Them,” held at the Turkish Pavilion during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
To address these challenges, Kazakhstan is implementing the One Health approach, strengthening biosafety measures, and enhancing systems for the early detection of emerging threats. The minister said Kazakhstan is open to partnerships based on the principle of ‘technology, localization, and training’ on mutually beneficial terms.
Kazakhstan also proposed that the countries of Central Asia, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Eurasian Economic Union conduct joint procurement of medicines and vaccines to reduce costs and ensure stable supplies. In addition, Kazakhstan expressed support for the Antalya Initiative on knowledge and experience sharing.
In conclusion, Akmaral Alnazarova emphasized that climate-related threats do not recognize national borders and therefore require regional solidarity and the pooling of technological capabilities. Earlier, Kazakhstan presented the results of the North Aral Sea restoration project at COP31 in Antalya.
Thanks to a series of water management initiatives, including the construction of the Kokaral Dam with World Bank support, the northern part of the sea has been preserved. In recent years, the volume of water in the North Aral Sea has increased from 18.9 billion to more than 23 billion cubic meters.
At the same time, Kazakhstan continues large-scale afforestation efforts on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea. Between 2021 and 2025, forest reclamation measures covered more than 1.1 million hectares. The planting of saxaul trees helps stabilize sands and reduce the spread of salt and dust from the former seabed.
To note, the national pavilion of Kazakhstan opened at the UN Climate Change Conference - COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, to feature its ecological projects, green technologies and investment opportunities. The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change began Monday in Türkiye's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, bringing together heads of state, senior officials, academics, and civil society representatives from around the world.