HIV/AIDS programme review in Turkey
WHO
The HIV/AIDS programme review took place in Ankara and Istanbul on 7–11 September 2015 with the aim of assessing the current HIV/AIDS situation in Turkey. The findings of the review are expected to guide the update of the National HIV/AIDS Programme Framework and design training programmes on surveillance, voluntary counselling and testing.
WHO/Europe and the WHO Country Office, Turkey supported the review, which was funded by WHO/Europe and the United Nations (UN) HIV/AIDS Working Group of the UN Country Team in Turkey. The WHO Collaborative Centre on HIV and Viral Hepatitis, in close cooperation with WHO/Europe, conducted the review.
2 international experts (Dr Maiken Mansfeld, Team Leader, Public Health Expert, WHO Collaborative Centre on HIV and Viral Hepatitis, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Dr Magnus Gottfredsson, Clinical Expert, Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland), 2 national academics (Professor Serhat Ünal, Hacettepe University; Associate Professor Dr Şebnem Erdinç, Ankara Training and Research Hospital) and Y. Mehmet Kontas, Deputy Head of WHO Country Office, Turkey, participated in the review study.
The programme review included 4 key components:
- epidemiological and strategic information analysis;
- review of HIV treatment and care along with the cascade of services;
- HIV services for key populations; and
- analysis of service delivery models for populations affected by the HIV epidemic from the perspective of the health system.
The HIV/AIDS programme review resulted with a debriefing session in Istanbul on 11 September 2015. During the debriefing, international experts presented their findings and listed recommendations on gaps and weaknesses in HIV/AIDS diagnosis, treatment and care, as well as recommendations on how to improve the social well-being of HIV/AIDS effected individuals. The written report of the review will be presented to the Ministry of Health of Turkey in the second half of October 2015.
