Advancing the State-of the-Art Research and Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kazakhstan

Ministry of Education and Science - Grant Funding 2018-2020

A necessary, comprehensive molecular epidemiological study to genotype circulating human papillomavirus (HPV) strains has not been conducted in Kazakhstan. This topic is highly relevant given the high incidence and prevalence of cervical and other types of HPV related cancer in Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries. Based on our 2015 genotyping pilot study, it was inferred that the HPV genotyping assay would be a valuable addition to the cervical screening program in Kazakhstan when used in conjunction with the Pap smear test. The first aim of this proposal is to implement an extension of this pilot study using our established protocol, and conduct a nationwide HPV genotyping study to include a larger sample size and to analyze samples from women who live in large cities in all regions throughout Kazakhstan (central (Astana), southern (Almaty), western (Aktobe) and eastern (Semey), northern (Pavlodar). The second related aim of this study is to implement an epidemiological survey to assess and compare knowledge level of selected demographic groups from the large cities in Kazakhstan including those listed above. An overall analysis of the study will focus on understanding the significance and relevance of the current situation related to HPV infections, and to assess the need to implement changes in the current screening and preventative programs for HPV associated cancers and diseases in Kazakhstan. Findings from this proposed study can guide policies related to HPV infections, interventions to halt progression towards cancers, and most importantly is the implementation of HPV vaccination preventative program in Kazakhstan.