Waitara Family Medical Practice aims to keep the local community as healthy as possible. We will be posting relevant medical centre news and GP advice.
National Bandanna Day is held every year on the last Friday in October. It is the flagship fundraising and awareness campaign for Canteen who aim to support young people impacted by cancer. Canteen helps support young people affected by cancer get access to programs, counselling and peer support.
Blue Knot Day is an Australian national day on which Blue Knot Foundation calls on all Australians to unite in support of the more than 5 million Australian adults who have experienced complex trauma.
The tangled knot in the Blue Knot Day logo symbolises the complexity of childhood trauma, with blue representing the colour of the sky and a clear blue sky providing the space for new possibilities.
Blue Knot Day is an opportunity for all Australians to unite and untangle the knot and complexities of trauma and abuse to support the recovery, resilience and empowerment of survivors.
Get involved this October by:
By holding an event in your workplace or community
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. Most know it as polio virus. The virus is spread from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine.
Cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350 000 cases then, to 33 reported cases in 2018. (WHO)
Once polio is eradicated, the world can celebrate the delivery of a major global public good that will benefit all people equally, no matter where they live.
World Osteoporosis Day is an initiative designed to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining good bone health. Osteoporosis causes bones to break easily becoming weak and fragile.
Even something like a minor fall, a bump, a sneeze, or a sudden movement could cause a break. Fractures caused by osteoporosis can cause major pain, long-term disability and life-threatening situations.
With over 1 million Australian’s affected by osteoporosis, it impacts both men and women and most commonly occurs in those over 50. Early detection is important in order to help manage bone health and prevent fractures.
Limb Difference Awareness Week serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of people living with a hand or limb difference. The aim of this week is to promote inclusion and inspire others through the stories shared.
Limb Difference Awareness Week is hosted by the Aussie Hands Foundation, who work to provide support, information and encouragement to people born with a hand difference.
This year’s theme for Limb Difference Awareness Week is Shine a Light.
October is National Safe Work Month—a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace. During October each year, workers and employers across Australia are asked to commit to safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians.
Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. No job should be unsafe and no death or injury is acceptable. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone.
The theme for National Safe Work Month this year is
think safe. work safe. be safe.
Think Safe – is the first step to thinking about work health and safety, which covers the planning and forethought that is used to identify risks and maintain healthy and safe workplaces.
Work Safe – is about implementing work health and safety measures to manage risks including the practical steps you can take to reduce risk and avoid workplace incidents.
Be Safe – considers the ongoing process of managing and monitoring work health and safety risks – it is not a one off.
Get involved this October by:
Taking care of yourself and colleagues in the workplace
Raising awareness on social media
Use the hashtags#safeworkmonth and #ThinkWorkBeSafe when promoting National Safe Work Month on social media.
World Mental Health Day raises awareness of mental health issues around the world and focuses on ensuring communities recognise how they can contribute to a mentally healthy society.
This year the theme is – Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. Some groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected. And services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders have been significantly disrupted.
Cerebral Palsy is widely misunderstood despite being the most common childhood physical disability, with 17 million people across the world living with this condition. World Cerebral Palsy Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness and help communities look beyond the disability. The global goal is to ensure that children and adults with cerebral palsy have the same rights, access and opportunities as anyone else in our society.
Every 20 hours, an Australian child is born with cerebral palsy – it is the most common physical disability in childhood. (1)
Cerebral Palsy is a complex, lifelong disability that primarily affects movement – but individuals may also have visual, learning, hearing, speech, epilepsy and intellectual impairments. Cerebral Palsy can be mild (such as a weakness in one hand) to severe (where people have little control over movements or speech and may need 24 hour assistance).