Usman Abubakar Haruna
1,2* 
, Amos Abimbola Oladunni
3, Abdulafeez Katibi Abdulkadir
4, Abbas Bashir Umar
5, Shuaibu Saidu Musa
6, Elizabeth Oluwatoyin Afolabi
7, Joseph Almazan
2, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III
8,9,101 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (NUSOM), Astana, Kazakhstan
3 Department of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
4 Department of Public Health, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (NUSOM), Astana, Kazakhstan
5 Nigerian Ports Authority Medical Centre, Lagos
6 School of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
7 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
8 Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
9 Office for Research, Innovation and Extension Services, Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines
10 Center for University Research, University of Makati, Makati City, Philippines
Abstract
The Alma Ata Declaration (1978) positioned primary healthcare (PHC) as central to universal health coverage (UHC). Post-independence Kazakhstan struggles with a fragmented healthcare system marked by high mortality, underfunding, and workforce shortages. Despite initiatives like “Kazakhstan 2050” and “Salamatty Kazakhstan,” challenges persist: economic instability, unregulated private healthcare, high out-of-pocket costs, and rural disparities. While Kazakhstan achieved a 76% UHC index, advancing PHC quality, expanding health financing, and prioritizing rural access remain critical to achieving equitable UHC.