Category Archives: Waitara Medical News

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 Pain Week 2019

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National Pain Week 2019 is a campaign to reduce the stigmatisation surrounding chronic pain. The week works towards healing relationships between the person in pain and their pain clinician/s and to reduce the isolation and suffering of people in pain.This year’s week will be held 23-28 July.

“An estimated 20 percent of adult Australians suffer chronic pain.”

Make a difference this July by:

  • Organising a fundraiser
  • Informing the community
  • Raising awareness on social media
  • Volunteering with the foundation
  • Donating

For more information, visit: http://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/

Stress Down Day 2019

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Stress Down Day 2019 is a fun and easy initiative to reduce stress and raise vital funds for Lifeline. It is Lifeline’s annual fundraising campaign held in July. People are encouraged to participate in stress reducing, fun activities such as wearing slippers to work or school, or dressing up or down, and then making a donation to Lifeline. It’s easy to get involved and all funds raised support Lifeline’s 13 11 14 crisis support service.

“Research shows that 90% of Australians need to stress less – with 74% of people reported being stressed from work.”

Get involved this July by:

  • Managing your wellbeing
  • Organising a fundraiser
  • Volunteering
  • Donating to the foundation
  • Raising awareness on social media

For more information, visit: https://www.lifeline.org.au/support-lifeline/lifeline-campaigns/campaigns

National Pyjama Day 2019

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National Pyjama Day 2019 is about raising much needed awareness and funds for children in foster care. By wearing your favourite PJ’s and by making a donation, you’ll be helping foster children achieve their dreams.

“Currently there are more than 43,000 children in foster care, and statistics show that approximately 32,250 of these children will not complete high school.”

Get involved by:

  • Hosting a Pyjama Day
  • Making a donation
  • Volunteering with the foundation
  • Raising awareness on social media

For more information, visit: https://www.nationalpyjamaday.com/

National Wound Awareness Week 2019

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Wound Care Awareness Week  is an opportunity to inform the community about the importance of proper wound care. This year’s theme is “Let’s Talk About Wounds” to encourage more people to raise awareness of the rising issue of wounds, what the wound symptoms are, and encourage more people to go and see a wound specialist if their wound won’t heal.

With wounds costing the Australian health system $3 billion every year and nearly half a million Australians suffering from chronic wounds every day – it is important to spread awareness!

Get involved this July by:

  • Raising awareness on social media
  • Informing the community
  • Registering with the foundation

For more information, visit: http://www.woundaware.com.au/

National Diabetes Week 2019

DiabetesAustralia

National Diabetes Week 2019 kicks off on 14 July and runs until 20 July.

Too many Australians are being diagnosed with diabetes too late. The is true for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The delay in diagnosis is putting many people at risk of major life threatening health problems.

Get involved this July by:

  • Volunteering
  • Raising awareness on social media
  • Informing the community of the symptoms
  • Donating

For more information, visit: https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/

JulEye 2019

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JulEye is a public campaign to raise awareness about eye diseases. JulEye aims to raise community awareness of eye health issues and raise funding for domestic and international vision research projects.

“Each year, 10,000 Australians go blind and approximately 200,000 Australians have visual impairment that cannot be corrected by spectacles.”

Get involved this July by:

  • Making a $1 difference
  • Volunteering
  • Organising a fundraiser
  • Showing support on social media
  • Informing the community of the campaign

For more information, visit: https://ranzco.edu/

Sarcoma Awareness Month 2019

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Sarcoma awareness month is designed to promote awareness about the ‘forgotten cancer’ and find a cure in time. “Sarcoma” is a cancerous (malignant) tumor of the connective tissue.

“Sarcomas are rare cancers and occur in approximately 1% of the Australian population. However, it is still an alarming issue which needs attention.”

Get involved this July by:

  • Donating to the foundation
  • Volunteering
  • Raising awareness in the community
  • Gathering support on social media
  • Signing the petition

For more information, visit:
https://www.curesarcoma.org/sarcoma-awareness-month/

Dry July 2019

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Dry July is a campaign designed to raise awareness for cancer through encouraging individuals to give up alcohol for the month of July.

Funds raised through Dry July go towards cancer support organisations across Australia, to help improve patient comfort, care and wellbeing.

In July, an average of 11,526 Australians are predicted to be diagnosed with cancer. No one asks for cancer, so it’s important to help, and go Dry this July to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

To get involved:

  • Sign up for the challenge to go alcohol free in July
  • Ask family and friends to sponsor you
  • Make a donation
  • Raise awareness on social media

For more information, visit: 
https://www.dryjuly.com/

World Scleroderma Day 2019

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World Scleroderma Day is an initiative to raise awareness about the severeness of this disease. Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease that turns simple daily activities into real challenges. It is life-threatening and currently has no cure. Also known as Systemic Sclerosis, scleroderma is a chronic disease of the connective tissue, immune and vascular systems, and presents a major diagnostic and management problem for patients and their physicians.

Anyone can develop scleroderma, but it is more common between the ages of 30 and 60, and three times more likely in females. There are estimated to be over 5,000 Australians living with scleroderma.

Get involved this June by:

  • Raising awareness on social media
  • Making a donation to the foundation
  • Volunteering

For more information, visit: http://worldsclerodermaday.org/

World Drug Abuse Day 2019

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The United Nations’ (UN) International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking falls on June 26 each year to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. This day is supported by individuals, communities and various organizations all over the world.

According to the UNODC, nearly 200 million people are using illicit drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates and sedative hypnotics worldwide.

To get involved:

  • Raise awareness on social media
  • Inform the community
  • Organise a fundraiser

For more information, visit: http://www.un.org/en/events/drugabuseday/