Minister of health says epidemiological situation remains stable

"The epidemiological situation in Kazakhstan remains stable according to the results of 6 months of 2004." Anatoly Belonog, vice minister of health, has stated this today, July 16, at a press conference in Astana, KZ-today correspondent reports.

"The state sanitary epidemiological control bodies manage to maintain the situation within the admissible limits of diseases," - A. Belonog observed.

According to the vice minister, during the first half year of 2004 there is a reduction of the TB sickness rate (by 5.3%), acute intestinal infections (by 8.9%), salmonellosis (by 16.6%), viral hepatites (by 16.9%), scab (by 21.2%), meningococcosis (by 27.9%), epidemic parotiditis (by 3.2 times), influenza (by 5.7 times). The HIV rate and sexually transmitted diseases have also fallen, A. Belonog said.

However, the acute dysentery rate has grown by 44.2%, the brucellosis rate by 9.7%, and the vernal encephalitis by 2.3 times in 6 months of this year. Besides, according to A. Belonog, the situation with the registration of poisonings, food poisonings, and infection disease outbursts worsened in the 6 months.