Maternal and Child Health in Northern Cyprus

Abstract

The data insufficiency in maternal and child health criteria may lead to deficiencies in the planning of primary healthcare services. The review aimed to provide information on the general health status of Northern Cyprus with scientific studies conducted in the country along with maternal and child health indicators presented at national level. This review research uses description and documentary analysis methods. In this study, the data was collected from publications using data collection techniques. Many health indicators have been defined by the world health organization (WHO) and Turkey to evaluate maternal and child health. The data in this study was presented accordingly. It has been stated that in Northern Cyprus, the infant mortality rate is 0.8 per thousand live births, the crude birth rate is 14.6 per thousand, and the fertility rate is 1.8. No stillbirth has been reported between 2013-2017. In the studies performed, it has been found that the cesarean delivery rate was high (47.6%-87.0%) and that the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months was very low (22.4-41.7%). There are no sufficient data on maternal and child health indicators in the country. No primary data such as maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, mortality and stunting rate under five years of age, immunization in children, adolescent pregnancy rate, and frequency and scope of prenatal and postnatal care was available.