IBH conference

"Impacts of Behavioral Habits on Public Health" (IBH) is an annual conference organized by BIL Armenia, designed for medical students and professionals. This event serves as a vital platform for fostering discussions on a wide range of medical and public health topics, ranging from broadly discussed issues to specific pathologies.

The conference aims to facilitate networking opportunities among healthcare professionals, both locally and internationally. By fostering knowledge exchange and experience sharing, it contributes significantly to the advancement of public health and the medical field.

The first conference took place in 2020, held in collaboration with the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) Students' Parliament. Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was conducted online. It consisted of two parts: a round table discussion involving speakers from across the continent on August 14, focusing on preventive medicine and the future of combating bad habits, followed by a series of short lectures by expert speakers on August 15, covering various topics. 

In 2021, the conference was held offline, in the Red Hall of YSMU, and about 100 interested students and healthcare specialists gathered together to talk and discuss the influence of bad habits. Distinguished speakers such as Dr. Michael Narimanyan, Victor Dosenko (UA), Evgeni Imyanitov (RU), Yervand Hakobyan, Yervand Manukyan, Victoria Meloyan, Tigran Hovhannisyan, and Nvard Kocharyan, President of "Europe Donna Armenia," shared insights on critical subjects. The collaboration with the YSMU Career Center and the Russian Center of Science and Culture enhanced the event's impact and reach.

In 2022, on November 5th, the conference took place for the 3rd time and gathered 200+ healthcare professionals from Armenia, the United Kingdom, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine,

Kazakhstan, and other countries. The main topic areas for the conference were public health, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterological, and oncological diseases. This time event took place at a Holiday Inn Hotel and was co-organized with the Armenian Medical Association. Notably, this IBH marked a significant milestone as the first student-organized event accredited for Continuing Medical Education (CME), with participants earning 6 theoretical CME credits. Partnerships with organizations like the Respiratory Society, Asteria, Berlin Chemie, Eco Sense, and Stada underscored the conference's growing significance in the medical community.

In 2023, IBH took place in the Blue Hall of YSMU on November 25 in cooperation with YSMU, which gathered around 100 healthcare students and professionals. This time, the event was scaled down due to the crisis in Artsakh. The majority of our financial resources were redirected toward aiding displaced children from the region. Even with the difficulties, the conference continued to be an important place for people to talk and share information. Esteemed speakers, including Davit Meliq-Nubaryan, Qristine Galstyan, Satenik Muradyan, Tigran Oganesyan, and Artem Grigoryan, shed light on diverse influences on community health. Each presentation illuminated significant factors ranging from the dangers of smoking to the impact of harmful habits and dietary choices.