An International Seminar “Stroke: From Prevention to Rehabilitation” Held in Shymkent with Participation of Experts from the USA and Kazakhstan

On June 18, 2025, a major interregional seminar on the topic “Stroke: From Prevention to Rehabilitation. International Strategies for Managing Comorbid Patients” was held in the conference hall of the Aydana Plaza Hotel (Shymkent).
The event was organized by the Health Department of the Turkestan Region, the Department of Neurology of the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, and regional healthcare institutions.
Leading experts in neurology, stroke care, cardiology, medical rehabilitation, and healthcare participated in the seminar. Among the attendees were chief freelance specialists, heads of stroke centers, faculty from medical universities, and invited international experts from the United States.
The seminar was opened by Professor Nazira Asanovna Zharkynbekova, Chief Freelance Neurologist of the Turkestan Regional Health Department and Head of the Neurology Department of SKMA. In her welcoming speech, she emphasized the importance of a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach in treating patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents.
Discussion of Regional Stroke Service Challenges and Achievements
The first part of the seminar focused on analyzing the current state of the regional stroke service. Speakers presented reports summarizing the results of the second quarter of 2025:
• Prof. Nazira Zharkynbekova highlighted key outcomes and strategic directions for stroke care development in the Turkestan region.
• Dr. Ruslan Tastanbekov, Chief Freelance Neurologist of Shymkent, reported on the successes and challenges at the city healthcare level.
• Specialists from district stroke centers (Aksukent, H. Yassawi University, and others) provided detailed insights into ongoing challenges and opportunities for improving local stroke care.
Important topics included the implementation of an integrated stroke management roadmap, quality of follow-up care, early rehabilitation, and post-discharge monitoring.
Scientific Session and Masterclass Featuring International Experts
The second part of the event featured a scientific session and a hands-on masterclass.
A special guest of the seminar was Professor Evgeny Vadimovich Sidorov (Oklahoma, USA), Head of the Stroke Center and Director of the Stroke Fellowship Program at the University of Oklahoma. He delivered two featured presentations:
• “Stroke Masqueraders: U.S. Experience and Clinical Case Discussions”
• “Post-Stroke Spasticity and Pain: Solutions from an International Perspective”
His lectures generated high interest and sparked active discussion among participants.
Other key speakers included:
• Dr. Aigul Serikovna Kudaybergenova (Kazakh-Russian Medical University, Almaty), who spoke on “International Strategies for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation”;
• Prof. Akhmetzhan Begalievich Suguraliev (Asfendiyarov KazNMU), cardiologist and Chair of the Kazakh Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis, who presented on “The Role of the Therapist in Stroke Prevention in Patients with Hypertension.”
Particular attention was given to the format of an "expert dialogue", where a cardiologist and neurologist discussed the management tactics for a complex comorbid post-stroke patient through a clinical case. This format demonstrated the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration in modern medicine.
Outcomes and Future directions
The seminar concluded with a dynamic exchange of experiences and opinions. Participants discussed current challenges and opportunities for improving stroke diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, as well as strengthening statistical reporting and interagency cooperation.
The event marked an important step toward:
• implementation of international clinical guidelines,
• integration of multidisciplinary efforts in stroke care,
• development of a rehabilitation network in the southern region of Kazakhstan.
The organizers received words of gratitude, and participants expressed a shared interest in holding such interregional meetings with international experts on a regular basis.