7.2 Administration and governance
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Governance
The Council of Ministers bears overall responsibility for the state’s role in the broader social protection and health care sector in Cyprus. It exercises this authority primarily through the Ministry of Health and, to a lesser extent, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (MLSI), the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MOEC), the Ministry of Justice and Public Order (MJPO) and, finally, the Ministry of Interior (Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών). Along with them, some other public actors involved are the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC), the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO) – (Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αθλητισμού - ΚΟΑ), the Office of the Commissioner of Children’s Rights and the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (NAAC).
The roles of these actors are described below:
The Ministry of Health’s mission is the continuous improvement of the health of the population of Cyprus, through the prevention of disease, and the provision to every citizen of high-level health care, respecting the rights of every patient to high quality medical care delivered with dignity.
The Health Insurance Organization (HIO) was established under Law 89(I)/2001 as a legal entity of public law for the implementation of the General Healthcare System (GHS) in the Republic. The General Healthcare System (ΓεΣΥ) provides citizens with access to healthcare and services such as pharmacies, physicians, dentists, and home visits. It is the new healthcare system implemented in Cyprus since 2019, aiming to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services for all citizens. The ΓεΣΥ entails the operation of a public healthcare system based on regional hospitals and health centers, in combination with the private healthcare sector.
For the provision of healthcare services to GESY beneficiaries, the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) collaborates with service providers who meet the specified requirements.
The design of GESY was developed with the assistance of healthcare specialists, based on the philosophy, architecture, and fundamental principles outlined in the 2001 Law. It incorporates best practices recommended by the European Commission, derived from the analysis of healthcare systems of EU Member States.
Therefore, the GESY in Cyprus has been designed to provide high-quality healthcare services to its beneficiaries, in collaboration with the Health Insurance Organization and appropriately selected healthcare providers. Its design is based on international best practices and evolves according to the needs and developments in the healthcare sector.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance (MLSI) ’s mission is the promotion of social justice within a free democratic system based on the pillars of social cohesion and social inclusion. The maintenance and continuous improvement of the standard of living and the quality of life of the working population and of society in general.
The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth is responsible for the administration of public and the supervision of private schools of pre-primary, primary and secondary level as well as the educational institutions of Post-Secondary and Tertiary level and the Universities. It prepares the educational budget, drafts new laws regarding education and sees to the implementation of existing ones. In addition, through its relevant departments and units (e.g., the Educational Psychology Service, the Committee of Health Education and Citizenship), the Ministry aims to promote the physical, mental and social well-being of the pupils of all educational levels by organising and supporting various educational programmes, initiatives and activities.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Order (MJPO) is responsible for the close review and consideration of the need to reform existing legislation in the wide field of public and private law, such as criminal law, legislation that falls within the general concept of the administration of justice, family law, legislation in the fields of equality, human rights, the treatment of offenders and others. Its activities furthermore include the promotion, in collaboration with the Supreme Court, of legislative and administrative measures for the unhampered administration of justice and the smooth functioning of the courts and criminological research for the formation of policies for the prevention and suppression of crime. It has also the responsibility, through the Police Force that the Minister of Justice and Public Order politically heads, of the maintenance of law and order, the preservation of peace and the prevention and detection of crime.
The Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC) as the responsible national body for youth affairs in Cyprus, it contributes significantly to the organization of information and public awareness actions on the physical and psychosocial development, health and well-being of youth. At a policy-making level, the Youth Board of Cyprus coordinates the development and implementation of the National Youth Strategy who sets Health and Well-being as one of its eight fields of actions. The YBC, as an advisory body, submits through the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth to the Council of Ministers, suggestions regarding the development of a comprehensive and specialized youth policy for the promotion of the progress and prosperity of all young people in Cyprus.
The Commissioner for Children’s Rights is an independent institution which exclusively deals with the well-being of children (up to the age of 18 years old) and the duties of this agency are being regulated by Cyprus’ law regulations.
The Cyprus National Addictions Authority (NAAC) which is the supreme coordinating body in the field of licit and illicit addictive substances and pathological gambling in Cyprus. The NAAC is responsible for – among others – the planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of the National Strategy on Illicit Substances Dependence and the Harmful Use of Alcohol 2013-2020 as well as the National Strategy for Addressing Addictions 2021-2028.
Cross-sectoral cooperation
The existing mechanisms of cross-sectoral cooperation between the responsible Ministries and other public and independent actors are underlined in the respective national strategies and are customized based on the thematic area covered.
As for the field of youth on Health and Well-being in the National Youth Strategy 2017-2022, the coordination of the cross-sectoral cooperation for the implementation of the youth priorities falls under the responsibility of the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC). In addition, the Youth Board of Cyprus in its relevant analysis of the 2nd National Action Plan of the National Youth Strategy for the period 2020-2022 reports that under the thematic area “Health and Well-being”, a total of 51 measures are implemented, out of which 32 measures implement cross-sectoral cooperation at national level.