Inclusive healthcare for musculoskeletal disorders: global approaches and practice of Kazakhstan

Inclusive healthcare is currently an important direction in public health. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are widespread conditions that include more than 150 diseases of bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues. At present, MSDs are considered one of the key areas of public health, as they reduce working capacity and lead to significant socio-economic losses.

According to global studies, musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent. Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide live with these conditions, accounting for up to 17% of all years lived with disability. Low back pain alone affects around 570 million people; therefore, these conditions are currently among the leading causes of disability worldwide.

The direction outlined in the Concept for the Development of an Inclusive Society until 2030 in Kazakhstan provides for a transition from a medical-social model to a social-rights model. This implies recognizing persons with disabilities as full members of society and eliminating all barriers that hinder their participation in public life.

In order to identify problems related to the health status of people with musculoskeletal disorders and to determine research aimed at improving their quality of life, a comprehensive literature search was conducted. The analysis included international and national publications from MEDLINE, Scopus and PubMed, as well as articles from peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The search used the keywords: inclusion, quality of life, people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), health factors, determinants, public health. More than 200 publications were identified. The search covered the period 2017 – 2025, including materials in Kazakh, Russian, and English. Based on this, 50 scientific articles were selected for analysis.

Thus, current scientific evidence indicates that musculoskeletal disorders should be considered not only as a clinical and medical issue, but also as a complex public health challenge requiring socially oriented approaches to the development of inclusive healthcare and the improvement of quality of life for this population group.

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