Turkey launches health promotion activities and efforts for communication to the public
WHO
On 11-13 April 2011 the Health Promotion Department of the Ministry of Health in Turkey organized an international symposium on health promotion and communication . The aim was to share knowledge and information and contribute to health promotion studies in Turkey devoted to raising awareness among population through media campaigns on healthy behavior.
The Minister of Health of Turkey launched the event by emphasizing the importance of health promotion as a process of empowerment where citizens increase attention to their own health, promote their own health conditions, and raise awareness regarding health issues.
Dr Gauden Galea, WHO/Europe Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion commended the Minister on his initiative to focus on health promotion - in particular on remarkable progress of tobacco control activities and efforts to improve the positive health behaviours of the Turkish population. Turkey has become one of the leaders in tobacco control not only in the WHO European Region but also globally. The latest achievement is the law requiring 100% smoke-free public places in 2009 and the increase of taxes on tobacco products in 2010. This achievement resulted in The Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, receiving in 2010 the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition Award for Contribution to Global Tobacco Control and in 2008 the Minister of Health Prof. Dr Dr. Recep Akdağ, Minister of Health, being awarded for his contributions to activities against tobacco.
