Almaty Marathon Gives Thousands of Infants a Chance for a Healthy Future

 This year, “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund, an organiser of the Almaty Marathon, together with the AYALA Charity Foundation donated specialised diagnostic equipment to two perinatal centres in Shymkent and Turkistan Region. The total donation amounted to KZT 106,241,284. This is part of a large-scale project to reduce infant disability in the region with the highest birth rate in Kazakhstan.

In 2024, Turkistan Region saw 30,973 births that is more than any other region in Kazakhstan. Modern medicine enables the early detection of congenital pathologies and reduces the risk of infant disability. Initiatives such as ‘One Day Clinic’ help to diagnose pathologies during pregnancy, and ‘I See the World’ does so immediately after birth.

Last year,  “Courage to be the First" Corporate Fund and the AYALA Charity Foundation joined forces to implement the initiatives in Shymkent and Turkistan Region. They allocated KZT 106,241,284 to these projects, raised thanks to entry fees from the Almaty Marathon participants and contributions from partners. 

Under the One Day Clinic project, the organisations installed laboratory equipment for FISH diagnostics at the Regional Perinatal Centre No. 2 in Turkistan Region, worth KZT 79,541,284. This includes a microscope that detects chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus during the early stages of pregnancy, identifying congenital conditions such as Down’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome, Shereshevsky–Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome. The One Day Clinic enables expectant mothers to receive comprehensive biochemical tests and expert ultrasounds in one place, all within a single day, at the expense of the Compulsory Social Health Insurance (CSHI).

"The microscope and laboratory equipment provided by the Almaty Marathon enable thousands of pregnant women to undergo essential examinations at our centre at the expense of CSHI, giving them hope for their children’s healthy future. Now, over 500 expectant mothers in the region will receive advanced prenatal screening before the end of 2025. Our calculations indicate that the FISH laboratory in the One Day Clinic will help reduce the rate of infant disability in Turkistan Region by 40 per cent over 15 years” , said Elmira Kozhakhmetova, Head of the Turkistan Regional Perinatal Centre No. 2.

As part of the I See the World project, a modern retinal camera worth KZT 26,700,000 was installed at the Municipal Perinatal Centre in Shymkent. Retinopathy can lead to vision loss in 36% of premature babies, but early diagnosis with the help of the new equipment will allow to mitigate these risks. Each child undergoes 2–8 examinations in the retinal camera, which can only be operated by a highly qualified neonatal ophthalmologist.

“From December to May, 150 newborns have been examined with the retinal camera in our centre, including 20 babies with detected retinopathy of prematurity. Vision was saved in all children with retinopathy thanks to early diagnosis using this camera and treatment provided. Annually, our centre delivers approximately 8,000 babies, and now all of them can receive accurate eye screening before discharge and obtain timely medical care if needed”, noted Gulbanu Syzdykova, Chief Doctor of Shymkent Municipal Perinatal Centre.

It worth noting that “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund has been holding the largest running event in Central Asia – Almaty Marathon for more than 13 years. Each year, a portion of the entry fees is allocated to social initiatives: over 30 projects totalling over KZT 277 million have been implemented in Almaty and Almaty Region since 2012.

“Every year, thousands of the Almaty Marathon athletes run, contributing to positive changes for the better of our country. We are delighted that our equipment is successfully used from the very first day and helps medical officers to save health of young Kazakhstani citizens, who may be our future active marathon runners. We also believe that the nation’s health depends on a systematic approach to children's medicine”, emphasised Saltanat Kazybayeva, Executive Director of “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund.  

The AYALA Charity Foundation itself is the only organisation in Kazakhstan, specialising in neonatology. For its 18 years of operation, the foundation has raised over KZT 2.8 billion and equipped 67 children’s intensive care units across the country with modern medical equipment.

“Every child deserves the chance for a healthy life. Through our partnership with the Almaty Marathon, we are introducing cutting-edge medical technologies where they are most needed – in the region with the highest birth rate. Widespread access to modern diagnostic and treatment methods in state perinatal centres will help prevent disability in thousands of newborns”, stated Aidan Suleimenova, Founder and President of the AYALA Charity Foundation.    

By participating in any running event organised by “Courage to be the First” Corporate Fund from 2025, runners can support charitable projects combating disability from birth. Runners can also donate any amount to charity during their registration. Registration is currently open for the Astana Half Marathon and the Almaty Marathon.