World Continence Week
2013
This year, World Continence Week is June 24-30. The ICS World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual initiative with the primary aim to raise global awareness about incontinence related issues. WCW was initiated at ICS 2008 in Cairo with the first ever World Continence Day. This became World Continence Week (WCW) in June 2009 with activities being developed worldwide.
2012
World Continence Week - USA 2012 was celebrated on June 18-24th. The theme for this year's event was "Empowering Patients/Clinicians Through Public Education."
The focus of the 4th annual WCW-USA is to spread information about incontinence as broadly as possible, and to create a more significant, cohesive network of organizations dedicated to this goal.
Information about World Continence Week is posted on www.worldcontinenceweek-usa.org.
Some headlines from around the world that are a result of WCW 2012:
AUA Foundation Introduces It's Time to Talk About OAB Campaign (USA)
New Zealand Continence Awareness Week Plans Underway (New Zealand)
Poise Launches ‘It Happens to Me' Educational Campaign in Conjunction with World Continence Week 2012 (Singapore)
Most Women with Incontinence Don’t Seek Medical Aid: Survey (India)
2011
World Continence Week 2011 was celebrated June 20-26. The main event in Chicago was held June 22 at the James R. Thompson Center building at 100 W. Randolph St. from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. inside the lobby area. Other locations in the US also had events. For more information see the press release.
2010
In observance of World Continence Week-USA 2010 affiliate organizations from around the world hosted educational events during the week.
A health awareness expo was held on June 23rd at the James R. Thompson Center plaza area in downtown Chicago. At the Chicago expo the public was able to learn more about incontinence, got questions answered and heard from leaders in the field. The keynote speaker at the event was Diane K. Newman, MSN, CRNP, FANN, BCIA-PMDB. Ms. Newman is a certified nurse practitioner, is Co-Director of the Penn Center for Continence and Pelvic Health, Division of Urology, at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, in Philadelphia and is an Instructor in the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an internationally known speaker on the topic of urinary incontinence and the use of devices and products for the management of incontinence.
Educational activities also took place in several additional U.S. locations. For the complete details and press release, click here.
Activities for World Continence Week in Canada are listed on the homepage of the Canadian Continence Foundation.
The photo above is The Simon Foundation at the 2010, June 23, World Continence Week event in downtown Chicago.
2009
The Simon Foundation for Continence Supports the International Continence Society's First World Continence Week, June 22 - 28, 2009
Simon Board Member, Christine Norton, R.N., Ph.D., along with Cheryle B. Gartley, founder and President of The Simon Foundation for Continence, founded the Continence Promotion Committee (CPC) of the International Continence Society (ICS). The mission of the CPC is to help build awareness worldwide of the progress that is being made for people with incontinence. The primary interest of the International Continence Society is to study storage and voiding function of the lower urinary tract, its diagnosis and the management of lower urinary tract dysfunction, and to encourage research into pathophysiology, diagnostic techniques and treatment.
The first World Continence Week program is a result of the work of the ICS and the CPC, along with many organizations and individuals who are devoted to improving the lives of those who live with incontinence.
To learn more about World Continence Week 2009, you can:
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Read the Press Release
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Visit the multimedia presentation: Promoting Continence Worldwide
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Visit the multimedia presentation: Urinary Incontinence: Epidemiology and Disease Burden
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Read this document: Patient Guide: Controlling Your Bladder Symptoms
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Access the webinar Women Controlling Continence, an online presentation done in conjunction with WCW
Members of the Simon Foundation staff (Beth LaGro, Director of Communications - center - and Twila Yednock, Director of Special Events - right) handed out information on the importance of proper diagnosis and asking healthcare providers questions about continence issues.
The 2009 WCW-USA event took place at the Thompson Building Center in downtown Chicago during the lunch hour. The Simon Foundation was there along with many other non-profit organizations and continence device manufacturers on June 24, 2009. Also attending were healthcare professionals from Chicago, including Dr. Terry Mason, a urologist, who is Chicago's Health Commissioner. Dr. Mason provided introductory comments in the plaza, and encouraged the interested crowd to ask the organizations' representatives questions and to seek help.
Page last modified 15 May 2013