Under the leadership of our Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım, our academics have begun using glass water bottles and thermoses to reduce the consumption of plastic and paper cups. Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım stated that a comprehensive international congress is being planned for 2027 within the framework of the Planetary Health Alliance, and that work has also begun to include a Planetary Health course in the curriculum of all departments.
Our Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Aytolan Yıldırım, provided the following information regarding the campaign they launched within the scope of the Planetary Health Alliance:
“Natural systems of the world, such as air, water, biodiversity, and climate, occupy an important place in human life support systems. However, the disruption of these systems by climate change, biodiversity loss, soil and water scarcity, pollution, and other threats affects human health in multifaceted ways.”
Planetary Health Alliance: A Global Movement
With this understanding, the Planetary Health Alliance, established as a solution-oriented, interdisciplinary field and global movement examining the impacts of human-induced damage to natural systems on human health and ecosystems, operates as an informal global consortium comprising over 470 universities, NGOs, government agencies, and research institutes, and boasting over 20 newsletter subscribers.
The Alliance's mission is defined as "to promote, mobilize and manage an inclusive, interdisciplinary planetary health space and its diverse disciplines, stories, solutions and communities in order to bring about comprehensive change in how humanity interacts with each other and with nature, in order to secure a livable future for humanity and other living beings on Earth."
xnumx't to Membership in the Planetary Health Alliance has been confirmed.
Our membership in this alliance was established in 2025 through the representation of Prof. Dr. Selda Seçginli, a faculty member of the Nursing Department at our university's Faculty of Health Sciences.
We, as individuals, societies, and professional groups, have significant responsibilities in protecting the planet we live on. Saving energy, supporting recycling, reducing plastic use, and consuming natural resources responsibly are among our primary responsibilities.
A campaign has been launched with the slogan "The Butterfly Effect on Planetary Health".
To this end, our faculty has begun its activities with the slogan "The Butterfly Effect on Planetary Health," and a comprehensive international congress is planned for 2027. Furthermore, efforts have been initiated to include Planetary Health courses in the curricula of all our departments.
The Thermos Usage Movement Has Been Launched.
As a first step at the institutional level, our faculty has initiated a movement to use thermoses instead of plastic cups. Within the scope of this action, it has been decided that as of April 13, 2026, water will not be consumed from plastic cups in any setting (cafeteria, office).
We believe that seemingly small individual steps, combined with societal awareness, can lead to significant change, and we expect everyone to do their part for a more livable world.
