Global Health and Turkey - Essay Example

Global Health and Turkey Background Turkey’s is a country located between the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Its government has had tremendous change over the years with numerous reforms in the social and political scene. This several reforms initiated have been aimed at improving the economy and government. An example of social reforms endeavor is the initiative to reduce tobacco usage amongst adults in the country (Phillips & McCracken, 2012). The government initiative calling for a change in lifestyle has resulted in the reduction of tobacco usage. This effort by the government is a good healthcare move because in Turkey cardiovascular diseases are the highest cause for death in non-communicable diseases. The country population growth rate is at 1.2 percent according to the 2012 statistics. Turkey’s population is estimated at almost 81 million. Turkey has had tremendous progress technologically, economically, politically and medically. The biggest positive change to happen in Turkey is its dedication to reducing tobacco use amongst its citizens. The government’s commitment to help in the fight against tobacco use is a beneficial asset to the Turkish people. This is aimed at enhancing the life quality of its nationals. There are still numerous challenges that are still in existent in the country this include the high rate of infant mortality rate, the high unemployment rate and inadequate water supply. Cardiovascular diseases remain the main challenge resulting in deaths alongside deaths from diabetes in non-communicable diseases. There are currently programs in Turkey that target respiratory diseases, inactivity, obesity and anti-tobacco use (Yuksel, 2003). Despite the adequate funding allocated towards health promotion and education, there are no current policies, programs or action plans in operation to increase awareness of cardiovascular diseases. Behavior Tobacco use is an urgent issue that has to be addressed in Turkey. Tobacco use in Turkey is greatly affecting the population in Turkey. In relation to the question, it is essential to note that Tobacco use in Turkey is so vast that it affects the majority of the population in the country. To curb this alarming trend, it is critical that certain programs and policies have to introduce to increase awareness of the increased use of tobacco. This increased tobacco use has led to high death rates as a result of cardiovascular diseases. To change this behavior of tobacco use, there has to increased awareness of measures to prevent to halt the spreading of this trend. To enable this, screening measures have to be accessible to all the populations to halt tertiary complications resulting from continuous use of tobacco (Phillips & MacCracken, 2012). Targeting non communicable diseases will enhance the life quality of the individuals. Specific Population Affected The majority male adults are the segment of the Turkish population that is likely to benefit from these anti-tobacco policies that will be introduced. This is because mostly the adult males at their prime ages engage in this vice of tobacco use. In Turkey according to national statistics, 30 percent of the population is engaged in tobacco use. This, however, is a minimum statistic as the rates of smoking a said to increasing by the day. Among the highest users of tobacco, 48 percent is men. Tobacco use amongst the men in tobacco has been equated to the fight against terrorism. Because of the extensive use of tobacco, the stereotype of Turkish being smokers gets adopted throughout the globe. Methods to improve this situation To improve this condition and in general and to improve the health of Turkish nationals, the following measures have to undertake to curb this vice. Policies shave to be introduced and implemented to curb the continuous abuse of tobacco in Turkey. Amongst the policies, to be passed include the introduction of smoke free environment where there should be no smoking in public places and indoor places (Skolnik,2008). This prevents the exposure to secondary smoking to innocent nonsmokers in a place. Another measure to change this tobacco use trend is the increased advertisement and promotion of non-smoking. Promotion and advertisement of this nature will curb the use of tobacco use as it will make the tobacco users aware of the effects of tobacco use. Another way to advance the change of behavior from tobacco use would be the use of appropriate labels on the packaging of tobacco products and limiting smoking to only smoking dens. With this labeling, then the consumers of tobacco are made aware of the side effects of tobacco use (Skolnik, 2011). This in extension improves the health status the Turkish people. These strategies require patience when implementing and will result to behavior change thus lead to improvement in the health status of the affected. These strategies are bound to meet some resistance from the Turkish culture. Long term communication and persistence in effecting these strategies can help make them successful. A way to improve the health of the Turkish people and making them desist from tobacco use would be the introduction of tobacco taxes. Tobacco taxes would cause the stoppage of the use of tobacco as the users will avoid paying of high rates of taxes to consume taxes. This will cut down the demand for tobacco as the taxes levied could be used in financing other programs to reduce tobacco use or get directed towards other health programs. To implement the change in tobacco use policies, numerous measures and endeavors have to be undertaken. Amongst these policies are the encouragements of the culture of good health. For instance measures like banning tobacco use are a way to reduce the consumption of tobacco and exposing other non-users to tobacco. This is a preventable cause of illnesses and death. To implement this change in tobacco use, smoking restrictions are essential to curb the effects of tobacco (Yuksel,2003). Another way to implement the change in tobacco use would be through the introduction of nicotine replacements. These replacements are important in helping the tobacco users from relapsing to their initial use of tobacco. Change To measure the impact of the proposed solutions and behavior change among tobacco users in that country, the government through appropriate departments can conduct the tobacco screening measures (Merson, Mill & Black, 2012). Measuring the change would involve a random survey of the sales of tobacco throughout the country. A random sample survey of sales of leading tobacco distributor shall get assessed. Expected results As a result, the changes in policies revolving around tobacco use policy as per the Future’s model in Turkey would assist to improve the country’s health status. The impact of this policy change would be the improved health conditions of the Turkish nationals. This would in turn lead to improved growth in other sectors of the Turkish economy as with improved health conditions generate other factors like improved wages and work conditions. With the improved health conditions as results of control of tobacco use, The TFR rate in Turkey will increase. Tobacco use causes infertility among women. Secondary tobacco smoking among men affects the women around them. This may cause infertility among women. A decrease in tobacco use would also imply that a majority of the population gets shielded from one cause of cardiovascular diseases. Decrease in tobacco use would improve the TFR among women, and also lead to an improvement in the health status of the country’s citizens. A healthy nation is a working nation. It is in this regard that the revenue lost from dwindling cigarette sales will be generated from other sectors of the economy by the increase in size of a healthy nation. Conclusion Tobacco use poses a major challengeto the Turkish people. Tobacco use contributes to cardiovascular diseases in the country. To curb the vice that is tobacco use in the country, there needs to be implementation of policies and health promotion strategies that will discourage this vice. Policies such as taxation and health promotion strategies through advertisements can get implemented. The tobacco screening measure can get employed to measure the change in tobacco use among the population. A decrease in tobacco use would improve the country’s health status by increasing the TFR and decreased cardiovascular cases. References Skolnik, R. (2008). Essentials of Global Health. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Merson, M., Mills, A., & Black, R. (2011). Global Health. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Phillips, D. R., & MacCracken, K. (2012). Global Health. New York: Global Health. Skolnik, R. (2011). Global Health 101. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Yuksel, H. (2003). Sociocultural Influences on Tobacco Use by Turkish Youth: Findings from Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. Denver: University of Colorado. Read More