Recommendations for the prevention of child injuries in Kazakhstan have been developed and discussed
On April 24, 2025, a round table was held under the chairmanship of the Ombudsman for Children in the Republic of Kazakhstan Dinara Zakiyeva to discusssituations with injuries to children and determining further steps for its prevention.
The round table was organized by the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR) together with the Committee for the Prevention of Emergencies of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, within the framework of the Work Plan with UNICEF in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the aim of developing recommendations to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation to reduce accidents among children.
The event was held in a hybrid format, attended by key agencies such as the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Committeefor the protection of children's rights of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan,The Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms in the Republic of Kazakhstan, territorial divisions of the regions of the said ministries took part in the online format. The total number of participants was about 70 people.
Ombudsman for Children in the Republic of Kazakhstan Dinara Zakiyeva noted in her welcoming speech: "Every day up to three children (1-2) die as a result of injury, poisoning, drowning, suffocation, falls, falling out of windows, fires, and road accidents. In most cases, children were left without adult supervision, and the cause was inattention and the fact that adults, on whom the safety of children depends, did not think about safety measures. In the first 3 months of 2025 alone, 232 children were injured, of which 109 children were injured when left without adult supervision, 23 died, 95 children were injured in road accidents, of which 26 died. To prevent such cases, coordinated joint work of various government agencies is necessary. Thus, measures were introduced into the law to work with the family, a standard of responsibility for failure to ensure safety was introduced, the competence of the apartment owners' cooperatives, property owners' associations for explanatory work with residents of houses. In addition, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Center for Reconstruction and Development of the Russian Federation and mobile operators, we have developed a distribution of SMS reminders about the importance of ensuring the safety of children, with a call not to leave them without adult supervision, including on the road and near water, and to install window locks.”.
Welcoming remarks were also made by Supervisor Department of psychological support for children and international cooperationCommittee for the Protection of Children's Rights of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of KazakhstanIsmukhanova L., fromDeputy Chairman of the Emergency Prevention Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan Esmaganbetov R., Coordinator of UNICEF programs in Kazakhstan on climate change Stativkina A., Acting Deputy Director of the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction Akparov A.
During the round table, experts from the Center for Emergency Situations and Regional Development presented Review of Kazakhstan and international experience on the issue of prevention of accidents and injuries among children. Representatives of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the BNS ASPR of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Railways of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Health Department of Astana were heard on this issue.
Following the discussion, the participants noted the need for annual joint events to ensure the safety of children, developed recommendations and signed the minutes of the meeting.
