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Türkiye’s Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic

their responsibilities and play their roles, and that they act in coordination in
case of a pandemic. Accordingly, the objectives of the Plan are as follows:

• To provide technical details of preparedness and activities to fight
against a pandemic;

• To determine necessary activities to be carried out and to prepare proper
recommendations before any pandemic breaks out in order to increase
effectiveness of works to be conducted in fighting against a pandemic;

• To ensure national coordination, and cooperation among public and
private sectors, to identify their roles, responsibilities and the works to
be done during a pandemic;

• To define the initiatives to be launched to effectively respond any
influenza pandemic;
• To guide the institutions and agencies which provide healthcare services
in preparing pandemic activity plans. 7

2.2. Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board 8

Before the virus was declared as pandemic, the Coronavirus Scientific
Advisory Board was set up on 10 January 2020 with the advent of the virus
at other countries. The Board consists of 38 members who are medical
academicians specialized in relevant fields such as infectious diseases,
microbiology, internal diseases intensive care and chest diseases. Since its
establishment, the Board has convened every day at the premises of the
Ministry of Health and shared its recommendations with the public. Apart
from issuing recommendations to be followed by the public in order to curb
the spread of the virus, the Board also assumes the role of providing accurate
information and raising awareness of the citizens through social media,
TV and newspapers to prevent the elimination of any false and unscientific
information in context of the disease’s course in the country. Also, the Board

7 Pandemik İnfluenza Ulusal Hazırlık Planı, Aralık 2019, s. 45
8 https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/bilimkuruluuyelerikimlerdirisimlerine2020bilimkuru-
luuyelerikimlerdenolusuyor6180779 Access Date: 02/05/2020

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