Public health: who monitors the epidemiological situation in the country
Здоровье общества: кто следит за эпидемиологической обстановкой в стране 22.06.2018

Today, Kazakhstanis are increasingly interested in public health issues. The epidemiological situation in the country and in the world tends to worsen. The Ministry of Health is taking steps to counter the widespread epidemic of meningitis. Moreover, the summer season is now and the population has a more active lifestyle, often eating in public places. There is a sale of food, fruits, vegetables. The problem of low-quality ice cream has become widely known.

Who examines the state of the sanitary-epidemiological situation, who is responsible for the epidemiological safety in the country. These questions were answered by the Director General of the National Center for Expertise Kanat Balykbaev in an exclusive interview with IA Strategy2050.kz.

 - Kanat Olzhabekovich, tell us about the National Center for Expertise. What tasks does he perform?

- The main task of the center is to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population. The center covers the entire territory of the republic, having 16 branches, 183 city and district branches, as well as 4 disinfection centers. We have at our disposal equipment and laboratories that allow us to make high-quality examinations and analysis, including:

  • Sanitary inspection;
  • Examination of electromagnetic fields;
  • Toxicology analysis of polymer materials;
  • Examination of toxicology of pesticides and pesticides;
  • Issues of food hygiene, municipal and industrial hygiene;
  • Virological, radiological, bacteriological laboratories.
  • Laboratory of especially dangerous infections.
  • Disinfection departments.

- The range of activities of the center is wide, but what is the practical effect for citizens and consumers of goods and services?

- The work of the Center is connected with the control of the flow of goods to the Kazakhstan market. Our country is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. We conduct a survey of goods for compliance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union. We examine the entire range of products, as well as water, air. It is our responsibility to examine children's toys, household chemicals, polymeric materials, and cosmetics that enter Kazakhstan. That is, in general, we provide the basics of radiation, chemical, microbiological, toxicological safety in our country.

About 1.2 million research and instrumental measurements are carried out monthly by our center. In 2017, inconsistencies were identified during 289.3 thousand surveys. The main part of the discrepancies was detected in samples of dairy and fat-and-oil products, meat and sausage products, drinks and juice products, confectionery and wine products. Specifically, milk samples most often do not match labeling and microbiological indicators. Samples of sausages showed a mismatch of labeling, according to physico-chemical indicators.

The use of dyes and preservatives is revealed in juices. In toys for children, an excess of free formaldehyde was found.

- How does the center gain experience and what do employees do to improve survey methods?

- On the basis of the Center, an expert group was created to implement the principles and methods of laboratory analysis of food product quality in accordance with international standards. This group is developing methods for determining food additives and preservatives, residues of antibiotics, vitamins and allergens in food products. 20 drafts of normative documents have been developed and according to the results of the work out of 20 drafts, at the moment 13 are at the stage of internal drafting, of which 4 are at the stage of discussion, examination and registration.

We work closely with leading foreign centers in the field of examination and sanitary-epidemiological control. One such is the RIKILT Research Institute, which operates at Wageningen University & Research in Wageningen, the Netherlands. On its basis, we trained two employees in the methods of sample preparation of organochlorine pesticides, organophosphorus compounds, carbamates and pyrethroids. These methods identify over 200 pesticides in food products.

A method has also been studied to determine persistent organic pollutants and carcinogens that cause cancer. During the training, specialists from Kazakhstan were introduced to the latest high-resolution GC / MS equipment (GC-Orbitrap) and high-resolution LC-MS (UPLC-Q-Exactive). Now we are working on the issue of conducting training courses in conjunction with RIKILT in Kazakhstan.

- Today the weight of the organization is confirmed by its international relations. What developments do you have in this regard? How much do you rate the authority of the center?

- Our center is in close cooperation with the European Codex Alimentarius Commission. Codex is a code of practice for food production. It is created and operates at the World Food Organization. Codex mission is to promoting global food safety and fair trade; developing international food standards and food safety guidelines. Accepted standards include the development of limit values ​​for food additives or pesticide residues before guidelines for labeling nutritional information, guidelines for the application of general principles of food hygiene and for antimicrobial resistance.

It is worth noting that for more than 50 years, Codex member countries have been working to harmonize food standards implemented on international markets. These standards have improved consumer safety, improved public health, and reduced unnecessary trade barriers between countries. Such joint work enables countries to acquire a high-quality and safe food product, guaranteed by Codex standards.

Since July 2017, Kazakhstan has chaired the Coordinating Committee of this commission, which is very important both for the country's image and for the opportunities to draw on the experience of foreign countries and establish new ties. The commission is attended by 731 delegates from 187 countries. The chairmanship of the Commission will allow Kazakhstan to integrate into the global economy and play a significant role in the development of norms and rules, recommendations for compliance with standards, make a significant contribution to the protection of public health and the implementation of fair trade.

- What is the role of your center in establishing a biosafety system?

- This is updating the laboratories and improving the literacy of laboratory specialists on safety and biosecurity issues. Today, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is our key partner. This center implements a series of projects in Central Asia and the region aimed at strengthening the biosafety infrastructure, primarily through the construction of high-level laboratories.

An important project in this regard is the Central Reference Laboratory. CDC presented us a grant to strengthen its laboratory complex. To this end, a Roadmap for 2018 has been developed, which provides for the development of an integrated system of biosecurity and biosafety, which will strengthen the laboratory service, prevent antibiotic resistance, and improve the qualifications of employees.

It is planned to purchase second-class biosafety cabinets for our laboratories for especially dangerous infections and conduct a five-day training course for 22 laboratory employees from 16 branches on the topic "Biosafety and Biosafety". Thus, work continues to strengthen the base of the National Center and experts and its role in ensuring biological safety in Kazakhstan.

- Thanks for the interview

Gultay Khasenova

https://strategy2050.kz/ru/news/51557/