Türkiye - Next generation health movement

Year 1: İzmir, Manisa, Adana, Gaziantep & online.

Year 2 & 3: Expanding to an additional 8 cities across Türkiye.

2025 – 2027

AstraZeneca Türkiye’s Youth Health Report offers a comprehensive overview of the health and wellbeing of young people aged 15 to 24 across the country. Developed in line with World Health Organization (WHO) standards and best practices, the report’s findings are designed to inform the Next Generation Health Movement and shape future health strategies for youth in Türkiye.

Understanding and addressing youth health is critical, as the physical and mental wellness of this generation will directly influence Turkey’s long-term social and economic development. Early onset of unhealthy lifestyle habits and chronic diseases not only reduces individual quality of life, but also increases future healthcare spending and can significantly limit workforce productivity.

- Chronic disease and obesity: nearly 24% of young people are overweight or obese, and 1 in 4 is at risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. These risks are closely associated with early lifestyle habits.

- Physical activity: physical inactivity is becoming widespread among youth. Only 8% engage in regular exercise, while 92% do not get enough physical activity.

- Nutrition: healthy nutrition remains a challenge. In 2022, 35% of young people regularly consumed fruits and vegetables, while 65% still do not meet basic dietary recommendations.

- Tobacco use: tobacco consumption is still a major health concern. About 25% of young people use tobacco products regularly.

- Barriers to healthy living: key barriers include economic difficulties (38%), lack of information (24%), and limited access to suitable environments for physical activity (20%).

To empower young leaders with health literacy and advocacy skills.

Focused on developing solutions for the health challenges faced by young people in Türkiye, the programme delivers activities to improve access to health information and services, foster youth participation and develop advocacy skills, including:

- Online Training of Trainers (ToT) to equip 50 young people with health awareness and advocacy skills to train their peers.

- Health Awareness Seminars in four cities focusing on different topics of health, followed by engaging ' Ideathons' to develop innovative health advocacy projects.

- Community-based peer awareness training to reach young people in various regions of the country, led by Peer Educators.

- Creation of a Policy Monitoring report to review the latest developments in youth health policies and provide strategic recommendations for improvement, together with a checklist to track progress and engage policy makers.

After YHP Türkiye trains 50 Peer Educators, the programme is targeted to directly reach 2,500 young people that are part of each Peer Educator's local community.

İhtiyaç Haritası (Needs Map)

Needs Map was established in 2015 as a non-profit social cooperative. It facilitates cooperation and solidarity in areas such as education, health, culture and arts through spatial data technology and community-based verification function, bringing together those in need with individuals, institutions and organisations that want to support them.

Find out more about İhtiyaç Haritası.

TOÇEV (Foundation for Educating Children with a Reading Passion)

TOÇEV is one of the leading NGOs in Turkey that work in child education. TOÇEV provides lifelong education facilities and aims to help parents raise their children as individuals with social awareness and who take an active role in their social lives and see a positive future.

Find out more about TOÇEV.

For information on previous country programmes in Türkiye, see:

2013 – 2016: YHP Türkiye - I am a teenager

2017 – 2021: YHP Türkiye – Hey youth! Take action!

2021 - 2024: YHP Türkiye - Run first for first aid

References

All references sourced from TURKSTAT and Ministry of Health Data, and the AstraZeneca Turkey Youth Health Report.

YHP Türkiye – Next generation health movement

Location

Year 1: İzmir, Manisa, Adana, Gaziantep & online.

Year 2 & 3: Expanding to an additional 8 cities across Türkiye.

Timing

2025 – 2027

The local context

- Chronic disease and obesity: nearly 24% of young people are overweight or obese, and 1 in 4 is at risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. These risks are closely associated with early lifestyle habits.

- Physical activity: physical inactivity is becoming widespread among youth. Only 8% engage in regular exercise, while 92% do not get enough physical activity.

- Nutrition: healthy nutrition remains a challenge. In 2022, 35% of young people regularly consumed fruits and vegetables, while 65% still do not meet basic dietary recommendations.

- Tobacco use: tobacco consumption is still a major health concern. About 25% of young people use tobacco products regularly.

- Barriers to healthy living: key barriers include economic difficulties (38%), lack of information (24%), and limited access to suitable environments for physical activity (20%).

Our objectives

To empower young leaders with health literacy and advocacy skills.

Our programme

Focused on developing solutions for the health challenges faced by young people in Türkiye, the programme delivers activities to improve access to health information and services, foster youth participation and develop advocacy skills, including:

- Online Training of Trainers (ToT) to equip 50 young people with health awareness and advocacy skills to train their peers.

- Health Awareness Seminars in four cities focusing on different topics of health, followed by engaging ' Ideathons' to develop innovative health advocacy projects.

- Community-based peer awareness training to reach young people in various regions of the country, led by Peer Educators.

- Creation of a Policy Monitoring report to review the latest developments in youth health policies and provide strategic recommendations for improvement, together with a checklist to track progress and engage policy makers.

Our achievements

After YHP Türkiye trains 50 Peer Educators, the programme is targeted to directly reach 2,500 young people that are part of each Peer Educator's local community.

Our partners

İhtiyaç Haritası (Needs Map)

Find out more about İhtiyaç Haritası.

TOÇEV (Foundation for Educating Children with a Reading Passion)

TOÇEV is one of the leading NGOs in Turkey that work in child education. TOÇEV provides lifelong education facilities and aims to help parents raise their children as individuals with social awareness and who take an active role in their social lives and see a positive future.

Find out more about TOÇEV.

Further information

For information on previous country programmes in Türkiye, see:

2013 – 2016: YHP Türkiye - I am a teenager

2017 – 2021: YHP Türkiye – Hey youth! Take action!

2021 - 2024: YHP Türkiye - Run first for first aid

YHP Türkiye – Next generation health movement

Location

Year 1: İzmir, Manisa, Adana, Gaziantep & online. Year 2 & 3: Expanding to an additional 8 cities across Türkiye.

Timing

2025 – 2027

The local context

- Chronic disease and obesity: nearly 24% of young people are overweight or obese, and 1 in 4 is at risk for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. These risks are closely associated with early lifestyle habits.

- Physical activity: physical inactivity is becoming widespread among youth. Only 8% engage in regular exercise, while 92% do not get enough physical activity.

- Nutrition: healthy nutrition remains a challenge. In 2022, 35% of young people regularly consumed fruits and vegetables, while 65% still do not meet basic dietary recommendations.

- Tobacco use: tobacco consumption is still a major health concern. About 25% of young people use tobacco products regularly.

- Barriers to healthy living: key barriers include economic difficulties (38%), lack of information (24%), and limited access to suitable environments for physical activity (20%).

Our objectives

To empower young leaders with health literacy and advocacy skills.

Our programme

Focused on developing solutions for the health challenges faced by young people in Türkiye, the programme delivers activities to improve access to health information and services, foster youth participation and develop advocacy skills, including:

- Online Training of Trainers (ToT) to equip 50 young people with health awareness and advocacy skills to train their peers.

- Health Awareness Seminars in four cities focusing on different topics of health, followed by engaging ' Ideathons' to develop innovative health advocacy projects.

- Community-based peer awareness training to reach young people in various regions of the country, led by Peer Educators.

- Creation of a Policy Monitoring report to review the latest developments in youth health policies and provide strategic recommendations for improvement, together with a checklist to track progress and engage policy makers.

Our achievements

After YHP Türkiye trains 50 Peer Educators, the programme is targeted to directly reach 2,500 young people that are part of each Peer Educator's local community.

Our partners

İhtiyaç Haritası (Needs Map)

Find out more about İhtiyaç Haritası.

TOÇEV (Foundation for Educating Children with a Reading Passion)

TOÇEV is one of the leading NGOs in Turkey that work in child education. TOÇEV provides lifelong education facilities and aims to help parents raise their children as individuals with social awareness and who take an active role in their social lives and see a positive future.

Find out more about TOÇEV.

Further information

For information on previous country programmes in Türkiye, see: 2013 – 2016: YHP Türkiye - I am a teenager

2017 – 2021: YHP Türkiye – Hey youth! Take action!

2021 - 2024: YHP Türkiye - Run first for first aid

Year 1: İzmir, Manisa, Adana, Gaziantep & online.

Year 2 & 3: Expanding to an additional 8 cities across Türkiye.

For information on previous country programmes in Türkiye, see:

2013 – 2016: YHP Türkiye - I am a teenager