"Kırşehir Health Literacy Workshop", which was organized by Kırşehir Governorship, WHO, Cihannüma Association and Health and Civilization Research Association and hosted by Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, started at our university. Kırşehir Governor Mete Buhara, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, Deputy General Director of Public Health Dr. Köksal Hamzaoğlu, Cihannüma Association Vice President Yusuf Eren, WHO Turkiye Office Head Dr. Batyr Berdlkylchev, academic and administrative staff, and students attended the workshop.
The opening speech at the workshop was made by Vice-Rector and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş. Güneş, who started his speech by cursing Israel, which has disregarded all the values of humanity for 42 days, emphasized that a genocide was committed in Palestine, including children, women, elderly, and healthcare workers. Vice Rector Güneş stated that health literacy increased awareness and enabled people to take appropriate steps towards the health system, thus creating a holistic system in which people knew how to benefit from the health system. Güneş, who also shared an anecdote about unnecessary hospital use and society's obstacles to hospital use, stated that according to a study, 7 out of 10 people did not have sufficient knowledge in using the health system. Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş ended his speech by thanking all the institutions and the organizing committee that contributed to the workshop where health literacy issues would be discussed in detail.
Speaking at the workshop held at Ahi Evran Congress and Culture Center, Kırşehir Governor Hüdayar Mete Buhara expressed his hope that the human tragedy in Palestine would end as soon as possible. Referring to the importance of the workshop, Buhara explained that health awareness or health literacy were especially beneficial in the field of preventive health. Emphasizing that the process before getting sick was more important than the hospital process, Buhara said, "We must abandon the mentality of coping with the situation after everything has happened. We need to search for 'how not to get sick' before we get sick. This is also related to preventive health. Health literacy is not just the job of doctors or healthcare professionals. It is a common field of endeavor for all of us, especially all government institutions,".
KAUE Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil reminded that accessing accurate health information was a fundamental human right. Karahocagil said, "With easier access to health information, human life is extended and rapid changes in the provision of health services are provided. The importance of health literacy has become even more prominent, especially in the extraordinary situations we have recently witnessed, such as pandemics and earthquakes, which have a rapid and devastating impact on public health. For this reason, individual and social programs are carried out to increase the level of health literacy in order to improve public health.".
World Health Organization (WHO) Türkiye Representative Dr. Batyr Berdyklychev reminded that Türkiye played an important role in political, economic and humanitarian fields. Drawing attention to Türkiye's support to the people of Gaza, Berdyklychev emphasized that sending medical supplies to the region and bringing cancer patients in Gaza to Türkiye for treatment were acts of solidarity and humanity. Berdyklychev added that WHO cooperated with Türkiye after the earthquake in areas such as providing basic health services, especially for women, children and people with chronic diseases, and preventing infectious diseases.
The following presentations were made in the panel: "Results of Sample Field Studies" by Prof. Dr. Orhan Koçak, "The Role of Health Literacy in Health Behavior Change" by Prof. Dr. Seçil Özkan, "Social Media and Health Literacy" by Dr. İbrahim Uslu, “The World Health Organization's Approach to Disasters and International Organizations” by Prof. Dr. Toker Ergüder, and “Health Literacy Policies of the Ministry of Health” by Dr. Mustafa Örnek. After the panel, Rector of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil and Rector of Aksaray University Prof. Dr. Alpay Arıbaş presented their plaques to the panelists.
The workshop will continue tomorrow with panels on Health Literacy for Health Care and Health Policies, Education for Health Literacy, Correct Communication Resources for Health Literacy, and Health Literacy for University Students.
