Universal Declarations of Health and Health Reforms in Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate the reflections of the international health declarations and agreements of the World Health Organization on the healthcare field in Turkey. Development of health differs in parallel with the present conditions, changes in the society and global developments in the world. Countries determine their health strategies to obtain better conditions in the healthcare field. Conferences are held and targets are set in various countries by the health organizations for the improvement of health conditions in the whole world, and many declarations have been published. Health Declarations of the World Health Organization become important while countries determine their health strategies. The World Health Organization determined the policies for Europe in 1980 and published 'Health Targets for All in Europe' in 1984. Equity in health, healthy living, healthy environments, integrated health sector and quality management in service are a few of these targets. Human and financial resources of the society must be used efficiently to fulfil these targets. As in other countries, health reform came to the agenda of Turkey at the end of 1980s. The frame of the health reform was set with four basic topics as changing roles of the state and market in healthcare services, decentralization, strengthening consumers and the role of public health.

Keywords

• health
• health declaration
• health reform