A sharp increase in syphilis cases has been recorded in the Atyrau region: in the first three months of 2026, the number of newly detected cases was almost five times higher than in the same period last year, reports infohub.kz.
According to Ranking.kz, in January–March 2026, the Atyrau region led the country in the growth rate of primary syphilis incidence. The rate increased 4.9 times compared to the same period in 2025.
Overall in Kazakhstan, primary incidence rose by 3.9% to 9.4 cases per 100,000 population.
Significant increases were also registered in the Kyzylorda region — 4.5 times. In Shymkent, the rate rose by 72.5%. Meanwhile, in the Karaganda region, incidence fell by 33.7%, in East Kazakhstan by 27.3%, and in the Zhetysu region by 27.1%.
The surge in the Atyrau region stands out against the general trend: from 2021 to 2025, the number of newly registered syphilis cases in Kazakhstan decreased by 29.5%.
However, statistics may not reflect the full picture. The figures are influenced by patients' seeking medical care. Possibly, syphilis is now being detected and diagnosed more often. On the other hand, some people may undergo examinations in private clinics, and data from there may not be fully included in state statistics.
The reason for the increase remains unknown. After the data was published, the health department of the Atyrau region reported that over the past five years, syphilis incidence in the region had decreased almost fourfold, but it did not specify the reasons for the growth in the first quarter of 2026.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that doctors from Atyrau are currently training for a complex operation to restore hearing in children, for which residents previously had to travel to other cities.