Kazakhstan

Abstract

Bioethics in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) has developed in the last decade, mainly in the field of health care and biomedical research. There have been numerous of activities and developments (conferences, legislation initiatives, establishment of ethics committees (ECs), development of educational programs, etc.) initiated by the key “drivers” in the country - the National Medical Association, the National Ethics Commission, and the Central Asian Bioethics Association. The system of the ethical review of research involving human subjects in the Republic of Kazakhstan has a legal (the legal framework) and an institutional (the EC network) basis. Status and functions of the ECs are approved by “The Code of Public Health and Healthcare System of the RK” (2009) and other regulations. The legislation regulates ethics, mainly in clinical research; there is no regulation for other ethical principles of biomedical research involving human subjects. Strong measures for science and technology development have been undertaken in Kazakhstan. Government programs to support scientific and innovative development in the country are approved and new universities, research centers, and technology parks have been established. All this serves as impetus for further bioethics development in the country. It has thus been necessary to establish cross-sectoral structures interested in the promotion of bioethics principles in the various fields of science, education, and new technology development. It is necessary to raise awareness and increase involvement of the widest social strata in the discussion of urgent bioethics issues, to implement training in bioethics in schools’ and universities’ curricula, and to develop international cooperation.