Over the past five years, the mortality rate among newborns with severe congenital pathologies after surgeries in Kazakhstan has decreased more than threefold. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

According to the ministry, the mortality rate in such cases dropped from 22% to 6.9%, while postoperative survival increased from 84% to 93% over this period.

Prenatal diagnostics and perinatal centers

Pregnant women with detected fetal congenital malformations are referred to specialized perinatal centers. There, doctors plan in advance the management of pregnancy, childbirth, and medical care for the child immediately after birth.

According to the Ministry of Health, modern prenatal diagnostic methods allow detecting many congenital pathologies during pregnancy, including at 18–20 weeks. This makes it possible to prepare for surgery in advance if it is needed in the first days of the child's life. About 1,400 surgeries are performed on newborns annually in the country.

Fetal surgery and new technologies

Fetal surgery — operations performed on the fetus during pregnancy — remains a separate area. To date, 39 such operations have been performed in specialized centers in Almaty and Astana.

The ministry also reported that about a third of surgeries on newborns are now performed using minimally invasive methods — through small punctures. Since 2022, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has also been used in the country to treat newborns with respiratory disorders.

In the coming years, the Ministry of Health plans to expand the use of genetic technologies, 3D modeling in preparation for complex surgeries, and telemedicine consultations in the regions.

Kursiv previously reported that infant mortality in Kazakhstan decreased by 14% in 2025, and maternal mortality decreased by 43% in the first three months of 2026.

Which children's hospitals and maternity homes became the best in Kazakhstan according to the Ministry of Health — read in the Kursiv Health article.

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