The ICS Continence Promotion Committee launched a very successful global event: World Continence Week (WCW) from June 22 to June 28. The aim of World Continence Week is to raise awareness of bladder and bowel health issues and improve the lives of people with incontinence worldwide by drawing the attention of the general public and the global medical community to the life situation of people with incontinence. During WCW, events were organised by many CPC Continence Organisations in several countries and a few are highlighted:
Singapore:
Despite the H1N1 problem in the background, CPC member Rani Vadiveloo reported on the scaled-down events in Singapore that included a public forum in Kovan which attracted 200 people and a public forum in SunTec City which included both sessions in English & Mandarin.
USA:
In steamy downtown Chicago, surrounded by a myriad of office buildings, there was a health fair during lunch hours on June 24 promoting continence education. The event had a steady stream of people stopping to ask questions or listen to information. The group passed out 400 tri-fold brochures and gave away over 500 ice-creams or waters. The USA event was planned and executed by CPC members Cheryle Gartley of the Simon Foundation, Tamara Dickinson and Diane Owens. Mary Anne Wasner, president of the US urology nursing group supported a website: www.worldcontinenceweek-usa.org. The USA event could not have been held without generous donations from Hollister, American Medical Systems, Medtronic and support from Women’s Health Foundation, Women’s Center for Continence and Pelvic Medicine, International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Us Too International, and the City of Chicago’s Health Commissioner’s Office.
Australia:
CPC member Barry Cahill reported that WCW was promoted in the Australian Continence Foundation journal and CPC member Deb Gordon noted a public awareness event. germany: CPC member Christa Thiel reported that 38 events in 24 cities were held.
Canada:
CPC members Frankie Bates and Jacky Cahill noted that the public was invited to join a Urology Wellness Clinic event where staff were available to answer questions and provide information on treatment options. National Continence Associations are participating and Urology Nurses of Canada are involved. An article on WCW is to be included in the Urology Nurses of Canada newsletter. In addition, the nurse continence advisors from Regional Health Authority B held a booth on Bladder Health.
India:
newly elected CPC chair Vasan Srini noted an article in the “Times of India” newspaper that mentioned the problem of incontinence in India and referred to the ICS WCW.
Czech republic:
The Czech Health Promotion Society organised a press conference on recent incontinence prevalence data. The Inco Forum (www.incoforum.cz) announced
and presented recent representative public opinion poll results on the national public Czech TV.
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