Improving health care services in Northern Cyprus: a call for research and action

Abstract

The island of Cyprus is divided in two parts. The Greek side is internationally recognized as the Republic of Cyprus, but the Turkish side, known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is not recognized by any nation other than Turkey. While the Republic of Cyprus has prospered, becoming a member of the European Union in 2004, Northern Cyprus has remained under economic sanctions and has been left relatively isolated from the rest of the world for nearly 40 years. The unique political context of Northern Cyprus has had important implications for public health and the health care system. In this brief commentary, we describe how the Northern Cyprus population accesses health care services, highlight the inadequacy of health data and call for an expanded research and action agenda. Northern Cyprus is home to approximately 300 000 people. An estimated 70% of the population is of Turkish Cypriot origin, 27% are from Turkey and the remaining 3% are from other nations. The population has grown by 11.2% since 2006 (preliminary results from the 2011 Population and Housing Unit Census). According to the 2006 census, 96% of the population is literate and 87% has at least completed primary school.1 Individuals living in Northern Cyprus are able to access health care through four potential care pathways. The first is via the public health care …