Dear colleagues and guests, We are glad to greet each of you at the 2018 Neonatal/Perinatal Medical Forum (NPMF) in Astana, Kazakhstan.

We express special gratitude to Chiesi company, the sponsor of the teaching grant, organizers and world-renowned academic professionals who have found the time and possibility to come to the forum to share with us their scientifc achievements and experience in the feld of neonatology and perinatology.

The Annual Neonatal/Perinatal Forum, held in diferent countries, has become a school for neonatologists and perinatologists around the world, where we receive comprehensive, modern, research-based answers to the most frequently encountered questions that arise in everyday practice.

In Kazakhstan, with the goal of improving perinatal and neonatal care, programs based on scientifc evidence (like named WHO programs) have been introduced into practice of the obstetrical organizations. Also clinical guidelines and protocols have been developed on the basis of international recommendations that are constantly updated with new recommendations adopted in the course of the International Congresses and Forums. All of those, as well as cooperation with foreign colleagues, allowed Kazakhstan to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 4, that is confrmed in the conclusion by The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN-IGME):”Since the late 1990s, Kazakhstan has made signifcant progress in reducing the level of infant and child mortality by 64% and 65% respectively. The country has fulflled ahead of schedule the Target 4 aimed to reduce the death rate of 0-5 year olds by 2014.

Despite the progress, there are still unresolved problems in a wide range of issues in neonatology, such as respiratory support, infections, use of antibiotics, perinatal brain damage, hemodynamics, and reduction of disability in children aimed to ensure their quality of life for all subsequent years.

I am sure that at the forum we are going to obtain updated recommendations that will contribute to further progress in neonatology/perinatology, as well as cooperation between specialists of our countries in terms of facilitating the exchange of information and knowledge.

I want to thank all and every one of you for participation in our Forum. I hope for your active involvement in the discussion of presentations aimed to obtain new valuable knowledge.

I’m wishing you a nice stay, pleasant impressions and memories of your visit to Astana!

Warmest regards.
Sincerely,

Prof. Tamara Chuvakova, MD
Chairman, NPMF 2018