Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Health Promotion Perspectives 2228-6497 15 1 2025 05 06 Towards attaining universal health coverage in Kazakhstan: Challenges and important next steps 3 8 10.34172/hpp.025.43529 EN Usman Abubakar Haruna https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9135-0473 Amos Abimbola Oladunni Abdulafeez Katibi Abdulkadir Abbas Bashir Umar Shuaibu Saidu Musa Elizabeth Oluwatoyin Afolabi Joseph Almazan Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III Journal Article 10.34172/hpp.025.43529 2024 08 05 2025 01 09 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.