"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving."
St. Francis De Sales
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World Health Day on 7 April marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is an occasion to raise awareness of key global health issues. This year's theme is international health security. The aim of the Day is to urge governments, organisations and businesses to "Invest in health, build a safer future". Why not hold an event at your school, workplace or local shopping centre to raise awareness about world health issues?
The slogan for World Health Day 2007 which can be used when preparing your material and events to mark World Health Day Can be found at. Their Site |
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Become Informed: Why MDG 7 is important
The water and sanitation target features under Goal 7 (the environmental sustainability Goal) of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The wording calls on governments to
"halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation". Taking into account population growth from the baseline date of 1990, the target necessitates the introduction of safe water to an estimated 1.5 billion people and basic sanitation to 2.0 billion over the 25-year period. The logistical challenge behind these stark figures must embrace immense differences of topography, climate and culture, as well as the gulf between urban and rural human settlements.
Access to clean water and safe sanitation therefore correlates closely with other critical MDG targets such as child mortality, gender equity and enrolment in education, and severe poverty. Governments are being encouraged to recognise that, without success in water and sanitation, the entire MDG concept may be in jeopardy.
To reinforce this message, the UN has proclaimed the period 2005-2015 to be the |
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International Decade for Action
- Water for Life
with the aim of injecting some urgency into strategies for achieving the water and sanitation targets www.un.org/ |
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Save water
One person's actions multiplied by 20 million people makes a hell of a difference! Don't waste water! Try these simple actions and see how much water you can save.
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Keep our environment healthy
On this government website you'll find some great tips on easy things that you can do around the house, at work or school, or when you are enjoying Australia's beautiful natural environment, to keep our environment healthy. Tips include ways to conserve our biodiversity, clean up our atmosphere, reduce the waste we produce, protect our wetlands and waterways, and care for our coasts. Act now and keep our environment healthy. More... |
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Give a gift of Health
Access to medical care is a fundamental human right that people living in poverty are often denied. Maternal death rates, infant mortality and the spread of HIV/AIDS all undermine development for those who are affected.
You can give the gift of health to communities in countries such as South Africa, Bangladesh and Bolivia, through Caritas Australia's Global Family initiative.
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Our Colleagues at Cafod have put together a great resource of prayers which address different social justice issues, including health issues such as HIV/AIDS
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Call to Action: Send an e-card to the Australian Government to put health in Developing countries on their agenda
As the Australian government formulates the 2007 Federal budget it is imperative that we lobby for the allocation of more effective overseas aid, to address issues such as health in developing countries.
Take a minute to get poverty on the agenda as the government formulates the 2007 Federal budget.
Send a message to the Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer and your local MP. Let them know you want them to do more to address global poverty in 2007 by allocating additional funding to overseas aid in the Federal budget.
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Close the Gap
Sign up to help end the Indigenous Health Crisis!
Indigenous Australians die 17 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians and Indigenous infant mortality is three times that of non-Indigenous Australians. It is a national disgrace that Indigenous Australians do not have the same access to health services that other Australians enjoy. www.oxfam.org.au
Take a look at the Health statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
www.hreoc.gov.au |
 
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Caritas Australia: tacking Health issues around the world
Find out how Caritas Australia is working with local partners in South Africa, Bangladesh and Bolivia to address different health issues, by reading the stories below
South Africa.
South Africa has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the world with more than 5.3 million people estimated to be infected by the disease. Over 2,000 people are infected daily. It is estimated that 50% of those now 15 years of age will die of the disease and 78% of those who die will be women. More... |
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Bangladesh
90% of the world's disabled people live in developing countries. In Bangladesh there are an estimated 3.4 million children and 10 million adults living with disabilities. People living with disabilities (PWD) face a cycle where they become the poorest of the poor. They cannot work to support themselves, access education, health services, training, or even social and community events. Caritas Australia is working with BPKS, one of our partners in Bangladesh, to assist PWD to receive things such as food, shelter and clean water. More... |
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Bolivia
According to the WHO report in 2000, malnutrition affects one in three people and is the single largest global health issue. Bolivia is South America's poorest nation, and also has the highest indigenous population of the America's. 70% of Bolivians live below the poverty line, and for the majority of children life is a struggle. Malnutrition is common, increasing the risk of disease and early death. Children are expected to work to help provide money for the family's daily food needs, so there is little time to play and just 'be children'. More... |
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Create Healthy Waterways
How healthy is your local waterway? Why not undertake this fun activity to assess the overall health of your local creek, stream, lake or wetland. It's easy, doesn't take too much time or require complex equipment, and it will allow you to tune into a vital component of our environment. More... |
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Promote OzSpirit through your website, newsletter or bulletin.
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Caritas Australia's free e-magazine, OzSpirit, this week focuses on Health and the Easter message of new life. To learn more about health, and other social justice issues in Australia and around the world, take a look at OzSpirit.
It is available at www.ozspirit.com or through the Caritas Australia web site, www.caritas.org.au, where you can subscribe on-line for free
Australia Wide: Create to Advocate 07 Art Competition and Exhibition
Micah Challenge and Make Poverty History are proud to present Create to Advocate 07. Artists of all kinds, around Australia are invited to enter the CREATE TO ADVOCATE 07 Art Competition and Exhibition. Selected artworks will be exhibited in Parliament House, Canberra, during June and July. The official opening for the exhibition will be on Tuesday 19th June during Voices for Justice. More...
NT: Garma Festival 3-7 AUGUST 2007
The 9th Garma Festival - Australia's leading cultural exchange event - will be held from 3-7 August 2007 at Gulkula, North East Arnhem Land NT. The theme for this year's event is Indigenous Health: real solutions for a chronic problem.
Garma is an intimate, spectacular celebration of cultural traditions and practices - dance, song, music, and art. Sharing of knowledge and real cultural interaction occurs amidst a unique line-up of entertainment. More...
VIC: Education and Training - 'Invest in Health and build a safer future' 20 April 2007
In a Victorian first, Beyond Blue, Diabetes Australia - Victoria, Mayfield Education, SunSmart, Quit and Vision 2020 Australia are joining forces to celebrate World Health Day 2007 by hosting a free health promotion symposium - 'Invest in Health and build a safer future' for Victorian health professionals. Friday 20 April, East Hawthorn. More...
VIC: Mental Health Week Art Competition 2007
Each year the Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria) invites artists across Victoria to create an innovative piece of artwork that portrays an optimistic and positive image of mental health. The artwork is judged on its suitability to be reproduced to become the poster that promotes Mental Health Week throughout Victoria.
Win a $500 prize and have your artwork featured as the poster promoting Mental Health Week 2007, 7 to 11 October 2007.
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VIC: Health and Human Rights Forum 18 April 2007
This forum presented by the Health Issues Centre poses the question: 'Why is health a human right?'
Guest speakers at the forum are Bebe Loff, human rights commentator and Head of Human Rights and Bioethics at the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University, and Paris Aristotle, director of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture.
Together they will address the question of why we put health and human rights frameworks together, and the topics of Indigenous health and human rights of refugees and asylum seekers. More...
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