World Health Day Panel at BİLGİ: Chronic Diseases Addressed from a Multidimensional Perspective

Istanbul Bilgi University School of Health Services organized a panel titled "Living with Chronic Diseases: Access, Equality and Burdens" on 7 April, World Health Day. The event addressed the social, economic and psychosocial dimensions of chronic diseases, emphasizing empathy based on patient experiences, the importance of preventive health approaches and healthy lifestyle habits.

The panel held at Kuştepe Campus brought together academics, students, health professionals and individuals living with chronic diseases. In his opening remarks, Assistant Director of BİLGİ School of Health Services Lecturer Okan Çiçek highlighted that chronic diseases are a global public health issue with not only individual but also societal dimensions.

Lecturer Songül Boyraz Turhan, emphasizing that health is both a right and an equality issue, pointed to the political, economic and environmental dimensions of health services and stressed the importance of justice in this field.

Global burden of chronic diseases
In the first session of the panel, information was shared that according to World Health Organization data, chronic diseases account for approximately 74 per cent of deaths worldwide. Research Assistant Ramazan Demirer drew attention to the fact that these diseases are largely preventable, emphasizing the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle habits and increasing health literacy.

Access and equality in health discussed
The second session addressed inequalities in access to health services. Social Work Specialist İkram Doğan noted that access to health is closely related not only to individual factors but also to social and economic conditions, and emphasized the necessity of preventive approaches and rights-based policies for a more inclusive system.

Patient experiences highlighted
In the third session of the panel, individuals living with chronic diseases shared their experiences. BİLGİ School of Health Services Director Dr. Cem Sezai Başar shared his personal experiences regarding diabetes and dialysis treatment while emphasizing the importance of organ donation.

Şebnem Güneymen, Chair of the Istanbul Branch of the Living with Diabetes Association, stated that diabetes is a disease that can be controlled when managed properly. Participants in the session also included healthcare workers and family members of patients who shared their experiences in the process.

Psychosocial dimension and importance of communication
In the final session, the psychosocial effects of chronic diseases were addressed. BİLGİ Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Zeynep Şimşek emphasized that the communication established between healthcare workers and patients plays a critical role in the recovery process, drawing attention to the negative effects of poor communication.

Expert Psychological Counselor Beyhan Özpar emphasized that expressive art therapy contributes to the recovery process of individuals with chronic diseases.

Exhibition and workshops included in the event
As part of the panel, a photographic exhibition reflecting the internship experiences of BİLGİ Dialysis Undergraduate Program students was presented to participants. In addition, a painting workshop organized highlighted the interactive and creative nature of the event.

The event once again demonstrated that chronic diseases need to be addressed not only from a medical perspective but also from social and psychological dimensions.