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More people have a mobile phone than a toilet?
As amazing as it sounds, it’s true. Help spread the word and donate your voice for Toilet Day 2012. Over 2.5 billion people don’t have a toilet. It’s dangerous, pollutes water sources, spreads disease, and causes thousands of deaths each day. It’s not a cultural issue, it’s an infrastructure one. Together we can change this.
Road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people every year and injure or disable as many as 50 million more. They are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29 years.
In October 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which calls for governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
Road Safety in East Lothian
There is one full time Road Safety Officer in East Lothian.
The Road Safety Officer’s efforts are statistically led and the key areas of concern are
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Young Drivers |
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Passengers |
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Pedestrians |
Young Drivers
In East Lothian the casualty age group most prominent in terms of injuries is the 16 – 25 year age group.
As a result of these statistics and to try to prevent further casualties, an educational event called 2mro’s Driver takes place annually. Further school presentations to support this event are available on request by the schools. Road Safety resources “Your Call” and “Crash Magnets” are also available in secondary schools for use by teaching staff as part of the Curriculum for Excellence. They are designed to develop safe attitudes towards driving and general road use and can be used for pupils from S1 – S6. Road Safety Officers also offer safer driving presentations to college and university students.
Road Safety Officers also promote safe driving to newly qualified young drivers through their Young Driver Challenge event.
They will also promote safer driving to the general public through national and local campaigns. They also offer support and advice to companies on the management of occupational road risk.
For further information on driver safety, please click on the following links:
Speed
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www.road-safety.org.uk/driving/speeding/ www.lbsafetycameras.co.uk/ |
Drink / Drug Driving
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www.road-safety.org.uk/driving/drink-driving-and-drug-driving/ |
Mobile Phones
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http://think.direct.gov.uk/mobile-phones.html |
Seatbelts
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/www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Roadsafetyadvice/DG_4022064 |
Advanced Driving
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www.roadar.org/ |
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www.iam.org.uk/ |
Passengers
Statistics have identified that there is a problem with passenger safety whilst driving in cars, specifically young passengers travelling with young drivers. Incidents occur due to non-compliance with seatbelt usage, peer pressure and risk taking.
Road Safety Officers address this issue through the initiatives and events mentioned above for young drivers. Awareness is also raised through supporting local and national campaigns.
Statistics have also identified that there is a problem with all passenger safety whilst travelling in cars or buses, due to lack of seatbelt wearing or when passengers alight from buses.
Road Safety Officers address these issues through supporting local campaigns, P7 transition inputs and organising and running local in-car safety clinics.
For more information on passenger safety, please click on the following links:
Child Car Seats
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www.protectchild.co.uk/inc |
Pedestrians
Statistics show that both child and adult pedestrians feature in road accidents.
Road Safety Officers offer educational advice and support to staff, parents and pupils throughout the child’s school life. Specific inputs with child pedestrians are offered at key stages such as:
- Traffic Trails aimed at P3 pupils.
- Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) – they cascade Road Safety information to the pupils, parents and staff in the school through notice boards, competitions and assemblies. JRSOs are normally P6 or P7 pupils.
- Transition inputs aimed at P7 pupils.
As adult pedestrians are more difficult to reach, Road Safety Officers will identify opportunities to target this group through publicity campaigns, educational inputs and cascading of information from JRSOs and school pupils home to parents and grandparents. Road Safety Officers also offer inputs and advice at parents information evenings in schools and nurseries.
For more information on pedestrian safety, click on the following links:
Road Safety Scotland
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www.road-safety.org.uk |
Department for Transport
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www.think.direct.gov.uk |
“On this World Population Day, I call for urgent, concerted action by Member States to bridge the gap between demand and supply for reproductive health care. We must mainstream reproductive health and rights into all development and poverty reduction plans. Investing in universal access to reproductive health is a crucial investment in healthy societies and a more sustainable future.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for World Population Day
11 July 2012
The world’s population reached 7 billion on 31 October 2011. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
As the world population edged to 7 billion people in 2011 (up from 2.5 billion in 1950), it has had profound implications for development. A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity with implications on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment.
This year’s World Population Day, 11 July 2012, focuses on the theme of “Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services.”
Reproductive health problems remain the leading cause of ill health and death for women of childbearing age worldwide. Some 222 million women who would like to avoid or delay pregnancy lack access to effective family planning. Nearly 800 women die every day in the process of giving life. About 1.8 billion young people are entering their reproductive years, often without the knowledge, skills and services they need to protect themselves. On the World Population Day, many activities and campaigns will call attention to the essential part that reproductive health plays in creating a just and equitable world.
National Childhood Obesity Week aims to raise awareness of the dangers of being above a healthy weight during childhood.
Worried about your child’s weight? Want to help them lead a healthy, happy, active life? Then Get Going!
Get Going is a family healthy lifestyle programme being delivered in partnership between NHS Lothian, East Lothian Council and Enjoyleisure.
It offers support to help children aged 5-18, who are overweight, and their parents or carers. The emphasis is on fun and feeling good. It’s about getting active as a family and working together to make small lifestyle changes. Children get the opportunity to make friends and take part in fun,active games. As parents you’ll have the chance to share ideas with support and guidance from a Child Healthy Lifestyle coach.
The sessions are FREE and take place in Enjoy or community venues once a week over eight weeks. Each week a different topic is covered, from introducing a healthier eating plan, to discussions around physical activity and thinking about the amount of time spent watching television or playing on the computer. After the eight weeks, you’ll get ongoing support from our team. There’s also a follow-up six months after you finish to see how you’re doing and to help you stay on track for a more healthy life.
To find out when the next courses are available in your area or for more information please contact your local Get Going coordinator Caroline Kaye:
T: 01620 828760
E: ckaye@eastlothian.gov.uk
Check out: http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/getgoing
From 21st-27th May 2012 Arrhythmia Alliance will be holding its annual Heart Rhythm Week which gives anyone the opportunity to raise awareness and promote better understanding of heart rhythm disorders.
For Heart Rhythm Week 2012, Arrhythmia Alliance and its members will be promoting the importance of patient empowerment. Those taking part in the week will be encouraged to organise awareness activities that help people with symptoms of a heart rhythm disorder access the appropriate information and support from a healthcare professional. Find out how you can get involved
Dystonia is the term used to describe uncontrollable muscle spasms caused by incorrect signals from the brain. The muscle spasms force the body into unusual and sustained movements and postures. This can affect many different areas of the body.
Around 1 in every 200 people either has dystonia themselves or has a close family member affected so it is likely you know someone affected. Click here to learn more.
Do you know who it is? It is possible they don’t either!
As it is estimated that 30-50% of people with dystonia are not diagnosed. Doctors often don’t recognise the symptoms and many people are being told they have a psychological problem.
Possible signs that someone has dystonia include:
Neck dystonia: The neck is twisting sideways or being pulled backwards or forwards involuntarily
Eye dystonia: Uncontrollable blinking or the eyelids forcing themselves shut
Hand dystonia: The hand makes strange, unintentional movements when writing or playing an instrument
Generalised dystonia: Abnormal, twisted postures of the hands or arms
World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day 2012 will take place on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. The theme of World Asthma Day 2012 will be “You Can Control Your Asthma.”
On their website you’ll find a wide variety of information about World Asthma Day, including advice and resources for activity planning, and a listing of World Asthma Day events in your area and around the world.
Read more about World Asthma DayLatest WAD News
World Asthma Day 2012 materials now available! Click here to access them.
World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.
Tell the world what you want to see in your lifetime
Progress in the global fight against TB cannot wait. For the World TB Day Campaign 2012, you can make an individual call to stop TB in your lifetime.
Do you want to see zero deaths from TB, faster treatment, an effective vaccine?
Visit www.mystoptb.org to make your own poster or upload a video with a personal message.
The World TB Day Campaign 2012 will allow people all over the world to make an individual call to stop TB in their lifetimes.
In their lifetimes, today’s children should expect to see a world where no one gets sick with TB.
In their lifetimes, women and men should expect to see a world where no one dies from TB.
People of different ages and living in different countries could have these hopes for stopping TB in their lifetimes:
- Zero deaths from TB
- Faster treatment
- A quick, cheap, low-tech test
- An effective vaccine
- A world free of TB.
No Smoking Day takes place on 14 March 2012. On the day more than a million smokers are expected to make a quit attempt.
Over the last quarter of a century we’ve grown into the UK’s leading public health event, helping over a million smokers to quit for good.
With No Smoking Day, there’s no pressure. When smokers are ready to stop, we’re here and ready to help, directing people to the support that’s right for them, when and where they want it.
Take the Leap with No Smoking Day
We know that most smokers would really like to stop, but find it hard to. So this year we are encouraging smokers to Take the Leap and give it a go. The theme recognises that giving up is tough, but the positive image and slogan speaks strongly to smokers helping them to aspire to a smokefree future
‘Take the Leap’ and its energetic accompanying image aim to echo the UK’s focus on the Olympics, asking smokers to think about their physical health. The campaign also coincides with a leap year – leap day will be an excellent opportunity to help smokers prepare to Take the Leap two weeks later on 14 March.
The ‘Take the Leap’ theme was developed with smokers themselves and reflects the positive messaging of the charity, we are here for smokers who want to quit and will help them take a leap towards a healthier, wealthier future.
No Smoking Day is part of the British Heart Foundation and offers year round resources to help people who want to quit. These include WeQuit.co.uk our dedicated quitters’ website, our online community forum which is host to 36,000 quitters and a suite of resources and tips and advice for smokers.
For more information about No Smoking Day visit our about section.
East Lothian residents wishing to seek advice can call 0131 537 9914
The Facts…
There are over 50,000 people in the UK whose kidneys have failed.
These people will die without dialysis or transplantation.
7,000 of them are on the transplant list but there is a huge shortage of donor organs.
At least 1 of them will die every day.
World Kidney Day UK
Kidneys For Life
Over 3 million people in the UK are at risk of kidney disease
People with diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney problems or from a black or Asian background are particularly at risk.
Kidney Disease is common, harmful and can be treatable
What can I do to help myself?
- See your doctor for some simple checks
- Stop smoking, exercise regularly, eat a well balanced diet
- Take a look at our Healthy Kidneys Page
What can I do to help others?
Give the gift of life by putting your name on the Organ Donation Register
To learn about celebrations around the world and to download more resources, visit the International WKD site: www.worldkidneyday.org
World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.
Tell the world what you want to see in your lifetime
Progress in the global fight against TB cannot wait. For the World TB Day Campaign 2012, you can make an individual call to stop TB in your lifetime.
Do you want to see zero deaths from TB, faster treatment, an effective vaccine?
Visit www.mystoptb.org to make your own poster or upload a video with a personal message.
The World TB Day Campaign 2012 will allow people all over the world to make an individual call to stop TB in their lifetimes.
In their lifetimes, today’s children should expect to see a world where no one gets sick with TB.
In their lifetimes, women and men should expect to see a world where no one dies from TB.
People of different ages and living in different countries could have these hopes for stopping TB in their lifetimes:
- Zero deaths from TB
- Faster treatment
- A quick, cheap, low-tech test
- An effective vaccine
- A world free of TB.
Wear your daffodil this March and help us continue caring for people with terminal cancer and other illnesses
Each March, the Great Daffodil Appeal aims to get everyone to wear a daffodil in support of our Marie Curie Nurses and raise money to help us provide more free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses.
But for those who have been touched by the work of Marie Curie, wearing the daffodil has a special and personal meaning.
Order a box of daffodils at – https://secure.mariecurie.org.uk/register/great-daffodil-appeal-box.aspx
Spring your school into action to support the Great Daffodil Appeal
Friday March 2, 2012
Brighten up your school and get pupils, teachers and school staff wearing yellow to raise money for the Great Daffodil Appeal 2012.
The money raised will help our Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses, in their own homes.
How it works
Save the date
Promote Wear Something Yellow around your school and encourage everyone to wear something yellow on Friday March 2, 2012.
Ask form tutors to mention it in class. Put posters up in common areas.
March 2, 2012 is the official Wear Something Yellow to School day, but feel free to choose any day in March that suits your school.
Wear something yellow to school
Wear a yellow hat, tights, wig or pair of shoes – anything goes as long as it’s yellow.
Collect donations
Ask eveyone to donate £2 to dress up in yellow for the day.
Too cool to wear yellow to school?
Don’t worry, there are lots of other fundraising activities to get
everyone involved in supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal 2012.
Register
Register today and we’ll send you fundraising pack including
top tips for fundraising, posters, bunting,
a box of daffodils and much more.
Activity sheet
Download file
Quiz
Download file
Lesson plans
Download file
Wear Something Yellow to School poster
Download file
Yellow tie
Download file
Bunting
Download file
World Malaria Day on 25 April 2012, is a time for examining the progress we have made towards malaria control and elimination and to renew efforts towards achieving the target of zero malaria deaths by 2015.
We have come a long way towards realising this goal since the first World Malaria Day four years ago, when it was estimated that a child died every 30 seconds of malaria. The huge increase in support for malaria control interventions in recent years means we can now acknowledge a reduction in the death rate; where once over a million people died of the disease annually, the figure is now closer to 790,000. This is progress and it shows that what we are doing is working. However we can’t afford to ease back until this number is zero, and this year everyone in the malaria community is discussing the remaining obstacles we face in the fight against malaria.
World Cancer Day – 4 February 2012
World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4 February and is the singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the disease.
No Smoking Day takes place on 14 March 2012. On the day more than a million smokers are expected to make a quit attempt.
Over the last quarter of a century we’ve grown into the UK’s leading public health event, helping over a million smokers to quit for good.
With No Smoking Day, there’s no pressure. When smokers are ready to stop, we’re here and ready to help, directing people to the support that’s right for them, when and where they want it.
Take the Leap with No Smoking Day
We know that most smokers would really like to stop, but find it hard to. So this year we are encouraging smokers to Take the Leap and give it a go. The theme recognises that giving up is tough, but the positive image and slogan speaks strongly to smokers helping them to aspire to a smokefree future
‘Take the Leap’ and its energetic accompanying image aim to echo the UK’s focus on the Olympics, asking smokers to think about their physical health. The campaign also coincides with a leap year – leap day will be an excellent opportunity to help smokers prepare to Take the Leap two weeks later on 14 March.
The ‘Take the Leap’ theme was developed with smokers themselves and reflects the positive messaging of the charity, we are here for smokers who want to quit and will help them take a leap towards a healthier, wealthier future.
No Smoking Day is part of the British Heart Foundation and offers year round resources to help people who want to quit. These include WeQuit.co.uk our dedicated quitters’ website, our online community forum which is host to 36,000 quitters and a suite of resources and tips and advice for smokers.
For more information about No Smoking Day visit our about section.
East Lothian residents wishing to seek advice can call 0131 537 9914 or email stopsmoking@eastlothian.gov.uk
