1. The Point of View of a Candidate Country Dr. Peyman Altan Ministry of Health of Turkey November 2009 Lisbon

2. Outline General Overview Programmes or projects The cooperation with Community Agencies in the public health sector Areas and support to be useful for the cooperation with Community Agencies Strong and weak points working with Community Agencies Conclusion

4. GAZIANTEP- Zeugma Museum

5. General Overview Turkey has had a strong infrastructure dealing with communicable diseases since 1900.. Many standarts on communicable diseases have already been in place Illegal drug usage has been a new and recent phenomenon for Turkey Environment has been a major public health issue for MOH.

6. MEDA program 1 Reproductive Health Programme has been carried out by MOH in 1998-2007 having a budget of Euro 60.000. Besides the completion of programme activities, “National Reproductive Health Strategies and Action Plan, 2005-2015” has been started to be implemented countrywide.

7. MEDA program 2 The Establishment of Cancer Screening and Training Centres Project finalised in December 2004.

8. Projects 1 2004 Accession Partnership framework, the project of strengthening the Ministry of Health to Harmonise and Implement Legislation in the Field of Biocides (Biocidal products) and Water twinning project has been carried out. The biocidal component has been conducted between November 2005 and June 2008 while the water component has been executed between 17 November 2006 and 30 June 2008.

9. Projects 2 The Project of Strengthening the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Disease System (ESCCDS)-I in Turkey (TR 0403.06) and II (TR 0503.13) have both successfully completed. Market Surveillance Support in the Selected Fields like medical devices etc.(TR 0402.02) finalised in May 2008.

10. Projects 3 The project of Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response (TR 06.AI) has been still going on. Under IPA, receiving technical assistance from EMCDDA, a Prevalence and Behavioural Study on HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis among Intravenous Drug Users in Gaziantep has been recently finalised.

11. The cooperation with Community Agencies in the public health sector

12. The technical assistance is available; EMCDDA and ECDC. Data periodically sent from MOH; ECDC and EMCDDA. EPIET trainings. “Establishment of a National Drugs Monitoring Centre (Reitox Focal Point) and development and implementation of a National Drugs Strategy” (TR02-JH-04)--MOH Contribution to Annual National Drug Control Report A new project under IPA 2010 Programming, the “Strengthening the Prevention of Illegal Drug Use in Turkey” project has been prepared by MOH and has been currently discussed by EU General Secretariat……

13. Areas and support to be useful for the cooperation with CAs More technical and financial support to carry out research activities to determine the illegal drug usage characteristics in Turkey. To be in direct contact with EMCDDA to strengthen some of the activities taken place in the National Drug Control Programme of Turkey. To share best practices of Member States through EMCDDA, ECDC and EEA. To have an observer status and to attend meetings organized for Member States having also the right to comment and contribute. To be considered appropriate by ECDC for the requests of Turkey on further EPIET training; Strengthening the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Disease System (ESCCDS)-II Project.

14. Strong and weak points working with Community Agencies Strong points Strong points Ongoing mutual collaboration Mutual trust Technical support; the implementation of new projects, databases in public health… Weak points Weak points Sometimes institutional resistance outside of MOH, Turkey ESPAD 2008.

15. Conclusion To increase the mutual collaboration and cooperation with CAs. To have an observer status and to attend EU meetings and activities and having the right to comment and contribute. To have the possibility to access to other EU member data as commonly used by Member States. To have a close cooperation with EMCDDA to receive a technical assistance as well as sharing other country experiences while carrying out some of National Drug Control Program Activities. To become stronger improving the collaboration with Community Agencies as well as Member States and closing the gaps.

16. THANK YOU