Surge of HIV Infection in Turkey: Health Alert
HIV Infection on the Rise in Turkey, Says KBU Medical Faculty
KBU Faculty of Medicine hosted the “HIV Infection and AIDS Symposium in All Its Aspects” at the Ekrem Karakaya Conference Hall. In the opening ceremony of the symposium, KBU Rector Prof. Dr. Refik Polat, Dean of KBU Faculty of Medicine Prof. Dr. Orhan Önalan, academicians, students and guests were present.
During the symposium, KBU Faculty of Medicine Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Meryem Çolak expressed concern over the increasing rate of HIV infection in Turkey, while the number of cases had been decreasing worldwide. Çolak stated that the primary reason for this trend was the stigma and lack of knowledge surrounding HIV.
However, Çolak also mentioned that the quality of life of patients with HIV infection and AIDS could be maintained at high levels with proper treatment options. Therefore, it is crucial to provide trainings to raise awareness about the infection and decrease the prevalence of AIDS infections in Turkey in upcoming years.
The symposium covered three sessions, discussing topics such as the general characteristics of the virus, transmission routes, clinical course and treatment of HIV infection, protection from HIV infection, HIV vaccine studies, nutrition in HIV positive individuals, and psychosocial approaches to HIV-positive individuals.
KBU Rector Polat hoped that the symposium would provide comprehensive information sharing on HIV infection and AIDS and thanked the participants for their efforts. The symposium ended with the notion that raising awareness about HIV and reducing the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS is crucial for decreasing the prevalence of AIDS infections in Turkey.
