Dr. Ahmet Kayhan Şen, Assistant Professor, stated that Public Health Week is an important opportunity to raise health awareness in society, and emphasized that health services should not focus solely on treating diseases.
The philosophy of "Investing in Health, Not Illness"...
Dr. Ahmet Kayhan Şen, Assistant Professor, made the following assessments:
“Public Health Week is a period that most strongly emphasizes the philosophy of ‘investing in health, not disease.’ Considering the cost of curative services and the physical and mental burden on patients, preventive health services both maximize individual quality of life and significantly reduce hospital admissions.”
Healthy Life Centers (HLCs) were established precisely for this purpose. HLCs are multi-functional centers that aim to eliminate health-threatening risk factors and provide citizens with easy access to high-quality preventive health services such as dietetics, physiotherapy, psychosocial support, and cancer screenings, all free of charge.
Investing in health is more valuable than curing illness.
Preventive healthcare services improve the quality of life for individuals while contributing to the early detection of diseases and reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Our main goal is not to intervene after a disease has occurred, but to identify and, as much as possible, eliminate risks before the disease develops. Family medicine is at the heart of this approach.”
You can learn important information about your health.
Dr. Ahmet Kayhan Şen, Assistant Professor, stated that small changes in daily life play an important role in preventing chronic diseases, emphasizing that nutrition, physical activity, and regular health check-ups should not be neglected.
Dr. Ahmet Kayhan Şen, Assistant Professor, stated the following:
“Modifiable risk factors such as excess weight, inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption play a significant role in many chronic diseases. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to be aware of their own risks and seek support from healthcare professionals. Even basic assessments such as blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, and blood sugar can reveal an important risk map for health.”
Early detection of chronic diseases, particularly hypertension and diabetes, is crucial for preventing disease progression through lifestyle changes and necessary medical follow-up.
Don't postpone cancer screenings.
One of the most important aspects of preventive health services is cancer screening. Citizens should participate in screening programs appropriate to their age and risk factors.
Within the scope of national screening programs conducted in Türkiye;
- Breast cancer: Mammogram every two years for women aged 40-69.
- Cervical cancer: HPV-DNA test every 5 years for women aged 30-65.
- Colorectal (large intestine) cancer: It is stated that fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) are performed every two years on men and women aged 50-70, and these screenings are offered free of charge through Family Health Centers (FHCs), Cancer Early Detection, Screening and Education Centers (KETEM), Healthy Life Centers (SHCs), and mobile cancer screening vehicles.
The goal of cancer screenings is to detect cancer early, before symptoms appear. It's especially important for people with no symptoms to not delay screenings thinking, "I have no problems." Discuss the appropriate screening program for your age and individual risk factors with your family doctor.
Healthy Living Centers provide significant support in preventive health services.
Healthy Life Centers play an important role in helping citizens develop healthy lifestyle habits. Professionals from various fields of expertise provide support at these centers. Healthy Life Centers support an approach that focuses not just on a single illness, but on a holistic health perspective. Depending on need, services are available in different areas such as nutritional counseling, physical activity and exercise support, psychosocial support, addiction treatment, and cancer screenings.”
Your family doctor can be your first point of contact for a healthy life.
Underlining that health checkups should not only be done when illness or complaints arise, Dr. Ahmet Kayhan Şen, Assistant Professor, drew attention to the role of family physicians in preventive health services and concluded his remarks as follows:
“In family medicine, the individual is considered holistically. The individual's age, gender, existing illnesses, family history, and lifestyle are all evaluated as a whole. It is important for healthy individuals to also consult with their family physician at regular intervals.”
Citizens can first contact their family doctors to have basic health assessments, and are then referred to relevant health services if needed.
