Public Health Camp At Altınbaş University
A Public Health Camp was held at Altınbaş University, with the participation of more than 150 medical students. In this camp the aim was to provide volunteers in public health.
Altınbaş University organized the 9th Public Health Camp with the participation of more than 150 medical students. The event, organized at Altınbaş University Mahmutbey Campus, lasted for 2 days and focused on examining public health. Fun workshops were also included in the event.
Burçin Sena Sığıncı, the President of Altınbaş Medical Students Association, who organized the 9th Public Health Camp, emphasized the significance of public health as a crucial perspective and responsibility for medical faculties.
Sığıncı stated, "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is not just the absence of disease and disability but is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Considering this integrity, it is important for medical faculties to provide education not only focused on treatment but also within the framework of the mission of preserving and improving public health."
Highlighting the importance of preventive medicine, Sığıncı mentioned, "Preventive medicine is becoming increasingly important. Public health aims to improve the overall health of society, enhancing the quality of life. It focuses on goals such as controlling infectious diseases, preventing chronic diseases, reducing health inequalities, and increasing the general resilience of society. Healthy individuals contribute to creating a more productive society and increasing the resilience of the community."
Sığıncı also emphasized the significant economic contributions of healthy individuals and mentioned, "Public health and safety create an advantageous environment for future generations to make a healthy start. Investments made in public health play a critical role in increasing the overall well-being of society, contributing to the formation of a more sustainable and healthy community."
As Altınbaş Medical Students Association, Sığıncı stated that they offered enjoyable content to participants in this year's Public Health Camp. She said, "We aimed to make the breaks more enjoyable and interactive with two different workshops. The first one was the Sporty Latin Dance Workshop, which took place with the contributions of our school's dance club, AUDANS. It provided participants with a fun experience, adding color to the camp atmosphere with the energy of dance. The Upcycling Workshop addressed the concept of upcycling using waste fabrics, magazines, and strings. It was combined with collage art to produce creative projects in line with the principle of sustainability. Participants not only gained information about sustainability during the workshop but also improved their manual skills."
In the 9th Public Health Camp, competent speakers in this field delivered critical presentations.
Elif Dağlı, the President of the Yes to Health Association (SED), gave a presentation titled "The Biggest Threat for a Healthy Life: Tobacco Industry." In the presentation, she provided information about the marketing tactics and plans developed by the tobacco industry to ensure the continuation of the epidemic with tobacco products they claim to be less harmful.
Osman Elbek, a Board Member of SED and a member of the Advisory Board of the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTD) Tobacco Control Working Group, addressed "Advocacy in Tobacco Control" in his presentation. He discussed the goal, method, and monitoring of the fight against tobacco control within the framework of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and MPOWER strategies.
Selin Çakmakçı Karakaya from the TTD Environmental Issues and Lung Health Working Group touched on the climate crisis in her presentation. She discussed the deep, acute, and chronic effects of the climate crisis on health; the effects of tobacco and the tobacco industry on the environment and ecology; and the threats of indoor and outdoor air pollution to human health.
Yeşim Yasin and Dr. Mehmet Mert Şahin from the TTD Women and Lung Health Special Committee spoke about "Gender and Its Effect on Tobacco Use." In their speeches, they explained the effects of gender on smoking or using new generation tobacco products, reasons for starting smoking, gender-specific health problems, and the industry's marketing techniques based on gender patterns.
Pınar Bostan, a Board Member of SED and a member of the Executive Board of the TTD Tobacco Control Working Group, and M. Atilla Uysal, a member of the Advisory Board of the TTD Tobacco Control Working Group, explained how nicotine addiction is associated with neurobiological, psychological/behavioral, and social factors. They also provided information on approaches to smoking cessation aid related to these factors.
Remziye Can, a member of the Executive Board of the TTD Tobacco Control Working Group, shared information about Passive Smoking and Third-Hand Smoke.
Ebru Öztürk, the President of the Epilepsy and Life Association, spoke about epilepsy to create awareness in society and discussed how individuals living with epilepsy can sustain their daily lives.