The SHIFA-ANA team is excited to announce our next event in our monthly lecture series on “Children’s Health in Late Ottoman Medical Literature: The Fragility of Bodies Prone to Tuberculosis”. The lecture will be presented by Ceren Gülser İlikan Rasimoğlu of Acıbadem University, Istanbul. This lecture will take place on May 14, 2025 at 11:00 am to 12:30 pm EDT (5:00 pm to 6:30 CET, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm GMT+3).
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Ottoman Empire increasingly recognized
tuberculosis as a major threat to public health, prompting efforts to control its spread in public
places and households. During this time, before effective treatments or vaccines were
available, public health campaigns played a indispensable role in raising awareness on
hygiene. Prominent physicians contributed to these efforts by producing not only scientific
works but also publications for the health education of the general public. This presentation
examines early 20th-century medical advice literature produced by physicians, focusing on
how it addressed tuberculosis and stressing its impact on children’s health. It explores how
child health education, often directed at parents, became a tool for promoting modern medical
practices and hygiene as civic responsibilities, while also reflecting broader public health
strategies and pronatalist policies. The analysis highlights the role of physicians in shaping
early initiatives to protect child health within its historical context.
If you would like to join in person at ANAMED, Istanbul, please RSVP us through this link
in advance if you would like to join in person: link
In case you have problems accessing the link, please inform us about your participation by
sending an email to shifaana.project@rutgers.edu
For online participation, please follow the zoom link on CHTSM’s webpage as per usual.