On November 20 and 21 2023, within the SAAF sponsored regional project, the ToT ” Medical abortion via telemedicine ” took place in Alma-Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The training was attended by 22 participants, stakeholders from leading medical institutions and academic staff of Universities, who were given access to up-to-date information and familiarized with the latest WHO recommendations and the experience from Moldova and other countries in the region, with a focus on Medical Abortion by Telemedicine (TMA). The training was conducted by Dr Rodica Comendant, director of the RHTC, the organization with the support of which the trainings were conducted and Dr Galina Grebennicova, KMPA Director.

During the trainings, participants also engaged in a constructive dialog about important details of safe medical abortion via Telemedicine, various clinical cases and the importance of introducing TMA in Kazakhstan. The main message delivered during the trainings was centered on the fact that this method (TMA) is highly efficient, has low complication rate and high level of women’s satisfaction, being more convenient and confidential.

During the training the participants received relevant information, so their objective needs for information in the field of TMA were covered and all participants were highly pleased with the trainings. It was decided that after this training, the participants will start collecting the information on the safety, efficacy and patient’s satisfaction of the medical abortion offered via Telemedicine to their patients, in order to analyze the data and disseminate the results to the colleagues in the country. Thus, this data collection and analysis will replace the planned earlier pilot study on TMA, which wasn’t approved yet by the authorities.

These activities are part of an active and important process to implement the recently updated National Protocol on Safe Abortion, where the Chapter dedicated to TMA was introduced and became an important step toward improving the quality level of safe abortion and reproductive health services in Kazakhstan.