World Health Organization praises Turkey in fight against non-communicable diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) praised Turkey in its fight against smoking on its web site. Turkish Health Ministry stated that the WHO said that progress in reducing the prevalence of tobacco use cannot be made without strong political will and governmental commitment to adopt and implement robust tobacco control policies, said WHO on its web-site. "Just six years ago, more than one in three adults in Turkey used tobacco products, which greatly increase the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. But today Turkey is a success story. A new study of health professionals showing that more than 1 in 2 Turkish health managers have given up tobacco in the past 4 years, reflects what is being seen across the country," the WHO said.