The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in Wuhan in December 2019 spread rapidly around the world and had negative impacts on our lives. The World Heath Organization declared the spread of the virus as a ‘pandemic’ on 11 March 2020. This date overlapped with the first cases recorded in Türkiye. This was the beginning of what felt like an everlasting disaster.
However, all sectors reverted to their old ways in 2022. The state of chaos caused by political crises, the global resource problem due to climate change, lack of food and water, issues surrounding access to health care and shelter became the center of discussion once again. The mandate to wear facial masks was lifted in Türkiye in March 2022 and the country entered a normalization process. We strived to work harder by recognizing our increased responsibilities brought about by the pandemic. NGOs and other actors took great responsibility to help those in need affected in different parts of the world.
As Doctors Worldwide Turkey, we continued to move forward within our areas of expertise in the wake of this unusual process in which we took more responsibility and meticulously carried out our activities in a way that pushed our limits. The most pressing natural disasters that occurred in 2022 were the Pakistan floods and earthquake in Afghanistan. NGOs worked in the field to support those affected by these disasters, which reminded us that while we all wish for outbreaks, natural disasters and crises caused by other conflicts to end, we should accept this reality and cooperate as much as possible. These situations make it clear that we need to take more responsibility as institutions and individuals.
As Doctors Worldwide Turkey, we provided health-related services to locals at our healthcare centers in Somalia, Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Chad, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and helped those in Niger, Ethiopia, Benin, Cameroon, India, Mali, Central African Republic, Pakistan, and Nigeria within the scope of our short-term activities.
With this, we started preparing for 2023. We continue to work on this endless path to reach more people from different parts of the world. We will work harder with an ideal of a better world in mind, where everyone has access to health services.