Better noncommunicable disease outcomes: challenges and opportunities for health systems: Turkey: country assessment

ABSTRACT

Like many countries, Turkey is facing a growing noncommunicable disease (NCD) disease burden. This reporttakes stock of Turkey’s achievements and challenges on how to accelerate improvement in NCD outcomes.Turkey has already made impressive progress to implement many recommended core population interventionsfor NCDs. Eff orts have been most signifi cant in the area of tobacco control. Challenges include implementationof the already passed alcohol policy and development of a comprehensive and pragmatic approach toaddressing obesity. In terms of core individual services, Turkey has made great strides to improve access toquality health care services at all levels, with well documented impact on maternal and child health outcomes.Nevertheless, challenges remain in terms of integrating timely detection and continuous management ofcardiovascular disease conditions, diabetes, and cancer into family medicine. The report examines these issuesin depth and concludes with policy recommendations in these areas to contribute towards addressing Turkey’snext generation health challenge.