About Us

The Universal Patient Rights Association is a civil society organization that has been conducting rights-based activities since 2002 to protect the high interests of patients and their relatives, and to legalize patient rights in Northern Cyprus. It has been fighting for the legalization of patient rights for 20 years.

Since 2016, it has won three projects funded by the European Union. It has carried out the projects Patients’ Voice I and Patients’ Voice II to be the voice of patients, and will also run the Patient Rights Monitoring Project until 2024. It has conducted the first patient rights-focused Patients’ Voice in Northern Cyprus, funded by the European Union.

2016
Patients’ Voice 1

• Created awareness about 14 patient rights in Northern Cyprus.
• Organized patient rights training for healthcare professionals, media, and lawyers, at both beginner and advanced levels.
• Participated in training in Rome in collaboration with the Active Citizenship Network (ACN).

2018
Patients’ Voice 2

• Published a Patient Rights Needs Analysis Research report.
• Organized Patient Rights Panels in Europe and Northern Cyprus and released a Manifesto.
• Established a Health Associations Platform, bringing together organizations working in the healthcare field under one umbrella.
• Systematically recorded patient complaints.

2020
Patients’ Voice 2

• Spearheaded the creation of a pilot Patient Support Unit at the Lefkoşa State Hospital.
• Participated in committees on Mental Health and Women’s Reproductive Rights Law discussions.
• Organized a training visit to the patient rights unit of Istanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmet Research Hospital.
• Conducted research and published reports on healthcare access for the elderly, HIV+ individuals, sex workers, those receiving mental health treatment, and prisoners.

• Took the lead in establishing the Rare Diseases Network (RDN) to raise awareness and help give a voice to patients with rare diseases.
• Continues to systematically record patient complaints, especially during the pandemic.

2021

Since November 2021, Patient Rights Monitoring Project is implemented. Within the scope of the project, they will conduct a needs analysis for mapping health (health profile) in Northern Cyprus until 2024, study similar country profiles, work to expand the scope of the right to take protective measures, and support marginalized groups in increasing their capacities to conduct monitoring and produce reports in their own areas.

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Call Us: 0392 228 83 37