From Editor

From the EditorsVerba volant, scripta manent!Words fly, writings remain!We are happy to present you with the last issue of the year. As the editorial team, we aim to publish an ever more qualified journal by making consistent developments each year. Our goal is to be an accessible journal where high quality scientific manuscripts are published, with the ultimate purpose of contributing to science and public health.It must be stated that it would be impossible to reach this goal without the support of our authors, readers and referees. This support can be given in many ways…One of our most important goals is to make the TJPH more accessible and raise the number of its readers. The editorial title “Verba volant, scripta manent!” was chosen to emphasize the importance of this aim. However, it must be noted that this phrase was not, contrary to common perception, chosen to imply that the written word is more valuable than the spoken word. On the contrary, we recognise an innate value in the transient nature of the spoken word. Through reading and discussing its contents, we ask that you elevate the ideas out of the pages of this Journal, giving them life. For this reason, the feedback you provide us is extremely important for the development of the TJPH.Furthermore, we would like inform you that your contribution to the peer review process is crucial for the improvement of the Journal. The peer review process must be fast and of a good quality in order to obtain better manuscripts. The TJPH has already met many international standards. We believe that by having a fast evaluation process there will be more qualified research article submissions, which would in turn accelerate the process of applications to international indexes. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we are waiting for more research article submissions from you. The TJPH will begin accepting manuscripts from the TUBITAK Journal System, also known as Dergi Park, in 2018. We do not foresee any major changes for our readers. However, some updates will be made to our referee lists. In this regard, we will make announcements through HASUDER.In this last issue of the year, we present you with four research articles, three reports and a data report. We believe that you will enjoy reading Çoşkun Bakar’s manuscript entitled: “Reexamination of an outbreak after forty-seven years: key lessons from the Sağmacılar outbreak, 1970”. Bakar discusses a historical outbreak while helping us to make important contemporary inferences. Ayşe Handan Dökmeci, in her report, discusses the public health effects of heavy metal pollution in the Ergene Basin, which is being rapidly polluted due to increasing industrialization and urbanization. Nasar Ahmad Shayan, in his report, compares the Maternal Mortality Ratios and the causes of maternal death in Afghanistan, a country with one of the highest Maternal Mortality Ratios in the world. Shayan compares Afghanistan with countries of similar socio-cultural statuses and emphasizes the importance of improving the status of women in society. The third report of this issue is authored by Sıdıka Tekeli. Tekeli highlights the important role of the health sector in disaster management, and informs health workers about the general principles of health disaster and emergency planning.The first of the four research articles is about the breastfeeding and nutrition habits of 0-24 month infants in a semi-urban region of Turkey. According to the results of the study conducted by Şahin. B et al, 56% of infants were fed with only breast-milk for the first six months. Authors also discuss factors associated with the presence and duration of breastfeeding.The title of the second research article is “State and Trait Anxiety Levels among Mothers of Inpatient Turkish Children and Related Factors”. In the study, Günay O. et al investigate the anxiety levels of mothers with inpatient children. Results of the study demonstrate the importance of effectively informing the mothers about the condition of their children in order to decrease their anxiety, especially in cases where the duration of illnesses are long.Another research article emphasizes the importance of good communication in health care. In their study, Şahin E. et al aim to develop a new valid and reliable scale that could be used to identify communication barriers at the patient level. Results of the study describe a new valid and reliable scale consisting of 28 items and 7 sub-dimensions.The last research article is about oral-dental health, a very important yet often neglected topic in healthcare. Koşan Z. et al evaluate the level of oral-dental health knowledge among Medical and Dentistry Faculty students. Results of the study indicate a lack of basic oral-dental health knowledge among future physicians.We hope that you enjoy this issue of the Turkish Journal of Public Health and we would like to thank all the authors, reviewers and editors who contributed to this issue of the journal.Happy new year!Sibel Sakarya, Yücel Demiral