94 pct of Turkish children in good health: TÜİK

ANKARA

Around 94.5 percent of children aged 15 and under in Türkiye are in "good or very good" health, according to data released by the country’s official statistics office on child health and deprivation.

Merely 4.6 percent of children were reported to be in "moderate" health, while 0.9 percent were in "poor or very poor" health, as per the figures announced on March 18 by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Roughly 53.7 percent of children with "poor or very poor" health experienced severe limitations in daily activities due to long-term health problems, the data said.

In the deprivation section of the study, the survey found that 9.2 percent of households were unable to afford new clothes for their children due to financial challenges, while 10 percent of children lacked daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables for the same reason.

Additionally, 22.2 percent of households were unable to afford a one-week vacation away from home for their children.

TÜİK also released findings on access to services and discrimination, examining access to home care services, public transport usage and experiences of discrimination.

The study found that 7.8 percent of households had at least one member in need of long-term home care due to illness, disability or aging. However, 90.4 percent of these households could not access professional home care services, the data suggested.

Regarding public transportation expenses, 5.3 percent reported that transportation costs posed a significant financial strain, while 46.7 percent described it as a minor burden.

Concerning discrimination, 2.4 percent of individuals reported feeling discriminated against when engaging with public institutions or services.