Cyprus

The Middle Eastern island of Cyprus has had a rocky political past filled with ethnic tension, and missing health data make it difficult to draw an accurate portrait of the health and well-being of Cyprus as a whole. While Greek Cypriots control approximately two-thirds of the island, the remaining area is in the hands of Turkish Cypriots, who are concentrated in the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. The standard of living is much higher among Greek Cypriots, where the per capita income is $21,600, establishing Cyprus as the 49th-richest country in the world. However, per capita income plummets to $7,135 in the north, which depends heavily on aid from Turkey. Although the bulk of workers are employed in services throughout Cyprus, 14.5 percent of Turkish Cypriots are employed in agriculture as opposed to 7.4 in Greek Cyprus. Unemployment is also higher in the north (5.6 percent) than in the rest of Cyprus (4.0 percent).

While Cyprus has no official poverty line, the government is committed to improving general health through the provision of a safety net that includes pensions, public assistance, and child benefit subsidies. Taken as a whole, the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports rank Cyprus 29th out of 177 countries on overall quality-of-life issues.

Cyprus has no national health plan, but plans for instituting such a program are under way. The government currently provides public health services at a small fee and encourages the development of a wide range of services in the public and private sectors. The government meets the needs of rural residents through mobile health units and district physicians that offer specialized healthcare through weekly visits. Government spending on healthcare has been on the rise, and the Cypriot government expends 6.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare, an increase of 1.02 percent since 1995. This funding allows $1,143 (international dollars) per capita for health costs. Less than half (49.1 percent) of total health expenditures are derived from government funding. Of that amount, 10.7 percent is earmarked for social security. The private sector contributes 50.9 percent of healthcare expenses, and 96 percent of those expenses are out of pocket. There are 2.34 physicians, 3.76 nurses, 0.82 dentists, and 0.18 pharmacists per 1,000 population in Cyprus.

Among the total population of 784,301, life expectancy is 77.82 years, with females living five years longer than males on the average. Cypriots are generally literate, although there is some disparity between males (98.9 percent) and females (96.3). Approximately 98 percent of the relevant population attend primary and secondary school. Technically, all Cypriots have access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. However, periodic droughts such as the 10-year drought that ended in 2001 have created a major shortage of fresh water in Turkish Cyprus. As a result, the government has increased the number of desalination plants.

Each Cypriot woman gives birth to an average of 1.82 children. Maternal mortality currently stands at 47 deaths per 100,000 live births. Between 1990 and 2004, Cyprus was successful at cutting infant mortality by half, from 10 to five deaths per 1,000 live births. Under-5 mortality declined even further, dropping [Page 464]from 12 to five deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2004. Receiving necessary immunizations is an important element in maintaining childhood health. Some 98 percent of Cypriot infants are vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT1) and polio, and 86 percent are vaccinated against measles.

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