Globally, child health services, particularly preventive medicine, vaccination, and overall maternal and child health, are drawing attention as leading issues in modern pediatrics.
To this end, the second annual meeting of the International Izmir Pediatrics Congress was held last week in Izmir, with the participation of specialists representing child health and disease training centers, as well as related organizations and institutions from many countries.
At the congress, hosted by Dokuz Eylül University, with the main theme “Environment, Climate Change, and Child Health,” representatives of the Azerbaijan Pediatricians Association (APA) – APA Chairman, Vice-President of the Eurasian Federation of Pediatricians, member of the Rare Diseases Consortium Council of CIS states, Associate Professor of the II Department of Pediatric Diseases at ATU, Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine Tarana Taghi-zadeh, and Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Occupational Health at ATU, Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine, Associate Professor Shahla Balayeva – presented important scientific research and modern approaches, preventive measures implemented, and future goals in the field of child health in Azerbaijan to an international audience.
Tarana Taghi-zadeh participated in the event as a moderator and speaker. The pediatric scientist spoke about the achievements in child health in our country, touching upon the historical development of this field in Azerbaijan and emphasizing the importance of programs implemented in the modern era.
The scientist emphasized the importance of children's health for the future of the Turkic world, noting that the environment directly affects children's physical and mental development, and therefore, ensuring clean air, water, and safe living conditions is a priority. The pediatrician, stating "Our main task is to raise a healthy future generation," stressed the importance of uniting efforts to ensure the health of the new generation in both countries, adhering to the principle of "One nation, two states."
During her speech, the scientist proposed a joint project for pediatricians of the Turkic world. She expressed confidence that such projects would make significant contributions to improving the quality of medical services and scientific development.
Ms. Tarana concluded her speech with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's saying: "Nations whose children are not raised healthy and knowledgeable collapse quickly, like buildings with rotten foundations."
At the event, pediatric scientist Shahla Balayeva delivered a speech on "The role of environmental factors in the emergence of health problems among schoolchildren," presenting research results demonstrating the impact of the environment on the development of health problems in schoolchildren to the audience.
The scientist stated that in the modern era, factors in the school environment have become a serious source of threat to children's health. She noted that increasing air pollution in cities, poor ventilation in school buildings, and unbalanced nutrition stimulate not only respiratory diseases but also allergic reactions and other chronic problems. She emphasized the necessity of strict adherence to hygiene and sanitary standards in educational institutions to ensure a healthy future for schoolchildren, and touched upon the importance of implementing comprehensive measures in this area.
Azerbaijani specialists were awarded at the congress. Their presentations were met with great interest by the event participants and laid the groundwork for the development of scientific cooperation in new directions between the two brotherly countries.
Azerbaijani scientists established effective collaborations with international partners and colleagues at the congress. Bumin Dündar, Chairman of the Board of PUADER and Professor at Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Professor Adam Aydın of Dokuz Eylül University, Professor Cam Balkan of Ege University, as well as representatives of the Atatürk Cultural Center and the Pediatric Specialty Academy Association, contributed to the high-level organization of the congress and scientific-practical discussions. This cooperation platform allowed Azerbaijani specialists to strengthen their ties with leading scientists and organizations of the brotherly country for future projects.
The organization and efforts of these individuals, who provided invaluable services in the successful conduct of the event, were highly appreciated. It was noted that thanks to their hard work, a favorable environment for scientific exchange was created, which serves as a strong foundation for future partnerships. The congress was evaluated as a brilliant example of joint cooperation aimed at building new bridges in the field of science and knowledge. Courses on the effects of climate change on child health were also organized at the event, and high-level scientific research was presented.
Within the framework of the congress, meetings and symposiums discussed comprehensive issues of child health, such as innovations and modern applications in general pediatrics and its subspecialties, topics related to child psychiatry, and common surgical problems and their treatment.