Health Promotion via Digital Technologies among Young Refugees

December 02, 2020

As part of the project titled "Health Promotion via Digital Technologies Among Young Refugees in Turkey" funded by the President's Global Innovation Fund (PGIF), the online panel and exhibition were organized on October 29, 2020. The project is an initiative of the Sustainable Development Center at the Earth Institute of Columbia University in collaboration with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia Global Centers İstanbul, Department of Public Health of the Faculty of Medicine at İstanbul University, and Bir-İz Association. 

Before starting the panel and exhibition, İpek Cem Taha, Director of the Columbia Global Centers | Istanbul shared her opening remarks along with the representatives from the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, Istanbul University, and Bir-Iz Association. 

The event was moderated by Asst. Prof. Yanis Ben Amor, Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University. The event featured some public health experts and practitioners including Firas Kayal, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at New York Office; Goleen Samari, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University; Özge Karadağ Çaman, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University; Selma Karabey, Department of Public Health, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine at Istanbul University; Damla Ceyhan, Department of Public Health, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine at  Istanbul University. 

You can find more information on the PGIF project below: 

This project aimed to use a community-based participatory research approach to explore and promote the use of digital technologies among young refugees to improve their access to health information and services in Turkey. The project kicked-off with a stakeholder workshop in Istanbul to discuss current problems and solutions regarding health literacy and health care access issues among refugees. The project team then conducted a qualitative photo-voice study with young refugees and local youth in Istanbul, in addition to in-depth interviews with health workers and policymakers to assess the current trends and gender-specific needs for digital tools including mobile apps to access health information and services among refugees. In this online photo exhibition and panel, the findings of the photo-voice study will be shared to raise awareness on using digital health technologies for health promotion in forced migration settings.