Meet our new member: Infectious Diseases Prevention Association (BUHASDER)
Established in 2008 with the vision of “a healthier, happier and safer world for all, free of infectious diseases”, the Association for Prevention of Infectious Diseases (BUHASDER) mainly works on educational, preventive, and therapeutic aspects of the communicable diseases in low-income settings. BUHASDER is a country-wide non-governmental organization having 75 representatives and more than 300 memebers that work collaboratively in many provinces of Turkey.
Coordination between countries is important and Turkey is essential for this coordination due to its strategic and geographical location. In the fight against the infectious diseases, non-governmental organizations are as important as governments and states. BUHASDER has been trying to raise social awareness on the prevention of epidemics for a long time, so it now possesses the experience and infrastructure to assume a key role in the prevention of this current pandemic. Its motto is “Prevention is always better than treatment.”
With its large network consisting of medical professionals, researchers, academicians, teachers, statisticians and social scientists, BUHASDER is also well experienced in organizing conferences, seminars, face-to-face meetings and trainings. BUHASDER has strong connections with public and governmental organizations, municipalities and universities and it can easily reach out to at-risk populations. Nevertheless, BUHASDER does not limit itself to the local level and expands its horizon with an international network through meetings and congresses jointly organized with various organizations from Poland, Russia, Romania, Italy, Croatia, Iran and African countries.
BUHASDER has been carrying out awareness campaigns on handwashing, hygiene and prophylaxis issues throughout Turkey since 2008, covering the entire society. During the Covid-19 period, together with The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), BUHASDER carried out projects with professional organizations on these issues, including topics on the importance of social distancing, wearing masks and vaccination. In addition, BUHASDER has also organized workshops against anti-vaccination during this period. It has the infrastructure that can help prevent the spreading of future pandemics to Europe and from there to the whole world. The fact that there are many immigrants in Turkey and that the population of the Turkish workforce living all over Europe is very significant, increases the importance of BUHASDER in preventing of pandemics at European scale.
