CARCEIT
Educational Innovation and Transformation Project (EITP2)


The Qaz Green Health Project: Developing the Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare Competence of the Present and Future Healthcare Workforce in Kazakhstan

About our Research Team

PI: Jonas Preposi Cruz, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Co-PI: Paolo C. Colet, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Team Members:

Joseph Almazan, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Ejercito Balay-odao, Instructor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Nancy Stitt, Program Director, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Anargul Kuntuganova, Instructor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Alma Syzdykova, University Medical Center Corporate Fund

Ainetta Nurmagambetova, Instructor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Arnur Gusmanov, Instructor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

Srinivasa Bolla, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University

April Manabat, Library, Nazarbayev University

Seidakhmetova Aizat Ashimkhanovna, Head of Department, JSC "South Kazakhstan Medical Academy"

Zhaniya Abayevna Dauletkaliyeva, Karaganda Medical University

Research Assistant: Kavashev Zulyar, PhD student, GSE

Masters Graduate RA: Anara Zhanseitova, MSc alumna, GSE

In Kazakhstan, the considerable massive area of the country, the inadequate access to the sea, and its sharply continental climate cause the increased risk of facing desertification, an increased number of forest fires, changes in water systems, and increased occurrences of floods and hurricanes in some regions. Consequently, there is a pressing need for healthcare workers and students to be educated about green policies. Experts, healthcare workers, and students have long advocated for the integration of climate change and environmental sustainability into healthcare curricula.

The aim of the project is to create and assist an environmentally sustainable healthcare system in Kazakhstan by building the capacity and competence of the present and future healthcare workforce in environmental sustainability in healthcare. The project will design, develop, implement, and evaluate two environmental sustainability courses in healthcare to enhance healthcare workers' and students' capacity and competence.

Research Impact

Dr. Jonas Cruz, the principal investigator, and his research team published their article, titled "Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Nursing, Medical, and Public Health Students in Kazakhstan," in the Nurse Education in Practice (NEP) journal. NEP is a Q1 journal in Social Sciences (Education) and Nursing (General Nursing). The study investigated the perspectives of nursing, medical, and public health students on environmental sustainability in healthcare. Please access the published article by clicking on this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595324000465.
Research Dissemination
On October of 2023, QAZGREEN Project hosted the first webinar in a series of three. The webinar was titled “Environmental Sustainability.” In total, 36 participants attended the event, including healthcare workers, students, professors, and individuals interested in the topic. Dr. Byron Crape, during his speech, delved into the current environmental challenges encountered by the Republic of Kazakhstan. He addressed topics such as water consumption, degradation of water supply infrastructure, access to drinking water, climate change, food safety, issues related to the Aral and Caspian Seas, chemicals and pesticides, hazardous materials, and their impact on the health of the population in Kazakhstan. Following Dr. Crape’s presentation, participants were encouraged to ask questions, sparking an active discussion. The event was conducted in English with consecutive translations into Russian.
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