Developing countries could learn from Turkey how to improve their own health systems, according to a researcher at Imperial College Business School.
Professor Rifat Atun, Head of the Health Management Group at the Business School, presented his findings on Turkey’s healthcare reforms at a major conference in Istanbul.
His report has found that death rates during childbirth have dramatically fallen since improvements to Turkey's healthcare system. He also found that improved access to healthcare for expectant mothers has helped to reduce infant and neonatal deaths in Turkey by more than 50 per cent over the last ten years.
Health ministers from developing and developed countries attended the Turkey Ministerial Conference on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to listen to Professor Atun’s research and discuss what changes can be made to improve health in their own countries.
The conference topics ranged from how healthcare could function in a time of fiscal crisis, scaling up Turkey’s UHC in low and middle income countries and managing health and medical needs during national emergencies.
Health ministers discussed the barriers to UHC Including infrastructure, inadequate financing of the health system, and a shortage of doctors and nurses.
Maxine Myers caught up with health ministers and policy makers from around the world to discuss Professor Atun’s findings.
Professor Rifat Atun, Head of the Health Management group at the Business School, discusses his research on Turkey's healthcare reforms.
Recep Akdag, Deputy of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and Somsak Chundaras, Secretary General of the National Health Foundation of Thailand, discuss the importance of Turkey's healthcare reforms.
Current and past health ministers discuss the barriers to achieving UHC, beginning with Ali Ghuffron Mukti, Health Minister for Indonesia, Alexandre Manguele, Health Minsiter for Mozambique and Sania Nishtar, Former Federal Minister of Pakistan.
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Maxine Myers
Communications Division
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Tel: +44 (0)7561 451 724
Email: maxine.myers@imperial.ac.uk
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