Health Awareness Month Topics – July 2023
DRY JULY
Dry July is a fundraiser that encourages you to go alcohol-free to raise funds for people affected by cancer. The funds raised provide invaluable services for cancer patients, and their families and carers.
Taking a month off from alcohol consumption also has great health benefits*, such as sleeping better, having more energy and of course, no hangovers! (*Note: heavy drinkers or people dependent on alcohol should consult with their GP before signing up for Dry July.)
The Dry July Foundation began back in 2008 when three mates decided to take a break from alcohol and chose the month of July to abstain, coining the phrase ‘Dry July’. They also wanted to raise funds for a cause close to their hearts, so they asked friends and family to sponsor them.
Hoping to raise $3,000 to purchase a television for their local hospital’s waiting room, the campaign was a huge success. The first Dry July ended up raising a whopping $250,000!
By signing up to Dry July you have the choice to donate funds directly to the Dry July Foundation or choose from a number of specific cancer causes. For instance, I have chosen to support Bowel Cancer Australia this year.
You can do it solo, create or join a team, or get your workplace involved.
By raising funds your money goes towards information and support services, specialist cancer nurses, wellness programs, cancer centre improvements, accommodation and transport, and comfort and support items.
If you’d like to sign up, head to dryjuly.com and register today.
Source: dryjuly.com
DONATELIFE WEEK – July 23 to 30
Sunday 23 to Sunday 30 July is DonateLife Week.
If you have made the decision to be an organ donor it’s important to let your family know your wishes. Even if you have registered either through the DonateLife website or your Medicare app, ultimately it is your next of kin who makes the final decision.
Organ, eye, and tissue donation saves lives, restores health, and improves the quality of life for thousands of Australians each year.
But did you know that only 2% of people who die in hospital each year can be considered for organ donation? One organ donor can save the lives of up to 7 people and help many more through eye and tissue donation.
Some interesting statistics on organ donation:
- A person must die in a hospital in specific circumstances, in an ICU or ED, as organs need to be functioning well to be considered for transplantation.
- Only around 2% of people who die in Australian hospitals meet the criteria required to be an organ donor.
- In 2022, around 1,400 people (of the 80,000 people who died in Australian hospitals) died in a way where organ donation could be considered.
- Requests to families for donation were made in 1,300 cases.
- Of this, 701 families said yes to donation in the hospital – representing a national consent rate of 54% – with 454 people becoming organ donors.
- With only a small number of potential donors, increasing consent is critical to increasing our donation rate.
There are around 1,800 Australians waitlisted for a transplant and around 14,000 additional people on dialysis – some of whom may need a transplant.
Each year, the DonateLife Week campaign aims to not only encourage people to register to be an organ donor, but to have the conversation with loved ones so their wishes may be honoured.
The 2 asks for Australians this DonateLife Week are:
- Could you donate one minute to give someone a lifetime? Register now at donatelife.gov.au or with just 3 easy taps in your Medicare app.
- Don’t forget to tell your family that you want to be a donor, someone’s life may depend on it.
Source: donatelife.gov.au
Article by: Sandy Brangan, Brangan Medical Business Consultants
