How Does the Syrian Refugee Crisis Affect Public Health in Turkey? Evaluation Note / Esra Özpınar

Turkey’s Syrian population has exceeded 2.7 million. Looking at the distribution of Syrians in Turkey, one sees that the refugees are spread around the country. Socioeconomic integration of the Syrian refugees in Turkey is a priority item on the agendas of Government of Turkey, local governments as well as local and international NGOs. In line with this agenda, policy reforms and projects are being carried out in the areas of labour market, education and health services. In the domain of public health, general health screenings, including vaccinations, for refugees is provided at the borders. However, if the necessary vaccines need to be administered in multiple dosages, tracking the movement and residence of refugees becomes an issue. In this framework, this paper will attempt to (i) provide an account of Syria’s public health indicators prior to and after the Civil War, (ii) outline the health policies that Turkey conducts within the frame of migration policies, and (iii) analyze Turkey’s and Syria’s immunization rates for selected diseases. As such, the purpose of the study is to point out areas related to health of refugees in the context of Turkey’s public health and to discuss what can be practically done in the field.