The youth of Novi Travnik attended professional lecture on COVID-19
"The Internet is extensive, and we can come across false information there, so it is good that we have the opportunity to inform ourselves in this way as well"
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The young people of Novi Travnik had the opportunity to attend the lecture "Consequences of the COVID-19 and preventive action" where, in addition to the important information they received from Professor Šefika Umihanić, also had the opportunity to share their experiences with COVID. There was also a talk about other topics related to health, the safety of vaccines and the importance of vaccination against COVID-19 and regular immunization, with a special focus on the harm of smoking and living in environments with increased air pollution.
"The purpose of this lecture is for young people to receive information from an expert and familiarize themselves with the basics of the COVID infection - how it is acquired, how it is transmitted and how it is treated. They also received information on how to react if they have a problem with post-COVID symptoms. What we could have brought closer is the importance of religious communities, class communities and youth organizations in the exchange of knowledge and experiences", said Professor Šefika Umihanić, underlining the importance of referring young people to relevant sources of information:
"During the pandemic, every day we had the opportunity to receive information from websites whose results are unverified, but which are mostly used by our youth. Few of them rely on professional literature and sources when they want to consult about anything, and much more of them use websites and various forums. I think that children should be educated in such a way that they should have verified and experiential information with the consultation of professional literature. When looking for the right solution, knowledge and experience are the way to convey to the youth what is verified and scientifically based," she added.
The young people actively participated in the discussions during the lectures, and Petra, a student of the Novi Travnik High School, shared her experiences with recovering from COVID:
" I think that young people who have not had that experience do not understand the severeness of COVID-19, but they should start to understand the consequences," says Petra. Ilhana, a student at Mixed High School Novi Travnik, believes that it is important for young people to hear information from an expert:
"The Internet is so extensive, and we can come across some false statements and information on the Internet, so it is good that we have the opportunity to inform ourselves in this way as well. I personally had no experience with COVID, but the information I received here can help me know how to protect myself and when and how we should react," says Ilhana.
Martina Levarda, a teacher at Novi Travnik High School, believes that the lecture is a good opportunity for students to gain knowledge on a "first-hand bases":
"Especially because before they didn't have this opportunity for a doctor to show them in detail what both treatment and prevention look like. I think they were able to learn a lot, some got over COVID-19, so they could relate everything to their experience, and some will probably pass on the information they found interesting to their peers," she concludes.
The activity was held as part of the project "Ensuring a response to COVID-19 in churches and religious communities in BiH", which the Interreligious Council of BiH is implementing with World Vision BiH with the support of UNICEF and USAID. The lecture was organized by the Committee for Interreligious Cooperation Novi Travnik with the desire to send a clear message to religious communities, and to jointly respond to COVID-19 in their local community, increase the awareness and trust of youth, citizens, and religious officials in the health system.
