Latest news with #HealthyIreland
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Cork council to seek funding for free sunscreen in schools, libraries, and offices
Free sunscreen should be provided at all schools and public buildings to combat the rise of skin cancer and the likelihood it will increase with hotter weather due to climate change. Currently more than 11,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed every year and projections suggest that by 2045 they will more than double. On foot of these figures Cork County Council is to write to minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill urging the government to provide sunscreen at all local authority offices, libraries, schools, third-level institutions, etc just like the roll-out of hand sanitisers during covid. The motion was proposed by Fine Gael councillor Aileen Browne, a healthcare worker, who said it would reduce the instances of skin cancer, which is now the most common cancer in Ireland. 'The financial argument is just as compelling. Treating advanced melanoma can cost our health service over €122,000 per case. Compare that to just over €4,000 for early-stage treatment. Prevention doesn't just save lives, it saves resources. It relieves pressure on an already overstretched health system,' Ms Browne said. She added that Irish people are vulnerable to the cancer because of fair skin. She said: And while clouds may block the warmth, they do not block UV rays. Your skin can burn, even when the sun is hidden. 'This motion supports Action Area One of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan to improve awareness and promote behaviour change. It aligns with the Healthy Ireland framework and the National Cancer Strategy, both of which call for cross-sectoral collaboration to embed preventive measures in everyday life,' Ms Browne added. Social Democrats councillor Ann Bambury, a mother of four young children, said it makes sense in an increasingly warming climate and added that the government should remove VAT from it as sunscreen is currently classified as a cosmetic. Independent councillor Ben Dalton-O'Sullivan said the HSE implemented a pilot sunscreen dispensing system at Fountainstown beach last year and he had asked some of its officials to roll it out to all beaches in Co Cork this summer. He didn't say if they had responded favourably to his request yet. County council chief executive Moira Murrell said she would fully support any such initiative, and the local authority already provides sunscreen to its outdoor workers. The county council is also rolling out the provision of free menstrual products at its offices which will be available to both staff and the public. This is being done following a request from Fianna Fáil councillor Gobnait Moynihan. Her party colleague Gillian Coughlan, who chairs Cork ETB, said she has proposed to it that the same initiative is also undertaken in all schools in the region.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
A period of life we need to talk about — the stigma that still surrounds menstruation
Unlike menopause, which in 2021 shifted from a taboo topic to a mainstream one, the conversation around menstruation in Ireland has been lacking, even though the average woman will spend a combined total of 10 years menstruating. Period poverty — the inability to afford menstrual products or access facilties — remains a fundamental issue. A 2022 Healthy Ireland survey found that almost 25% of women had experienced at least one indicator of period poverty. Despite that sobering statistic, positive change is happening. In 2022, the HSE launched its Period Dignity project, which, in addition to providing free period products to vulnerable women and girls, has focused on education and wellness, and addressed period stigma. In 'tampon tax' terms, Ireland is a trailblazer, as the only EU country to apply a zero rate of Vat to all menstrual products, with newer products, such as menstrual cups, period pants, and menstrual sponges finally being zero-rated in 2023. Period stigma is still a huge problem, with a 2023 menstrual health workplace survey by the Financial Services Union finding that 50% of the 1,064 respondents felt uncomfortable discussing menstrual health at work, with 20% commenting that periods were subject to 'workplace jokes'. Latterly, women and girls in sport have been at the forefront of breaking the stigma around menstruation. In March of 2023, the Irish women's rugby team made history as the first female Six Nations team to permanently switch from white to navy shorts to mitigate period anxiety among players. Similarly, many inter-county ladies' Gaelic football teams have opted for black shorts. 'Our younger generations, coming up, are questioning things and questioning traditions,' says Dr Katie Lydon, who has previously served as team doctor for the Dublin senior ladies' football team. Troublesome periods can lead to girls prematurely dropping out of sport, she says, an opinion that's backed up by Sport Ireland research, which, in 2021, found that discomfort, lack of access to appropriate facilities, and poor understanding or support around menstrual health were all contributing factors. Atlantic Technological University (ATU) launched its Period Promise campaign, their first campus-wide Healthy Campus initiative dedicated to menstrual health, dignity, and equity. Lydon, who favours 'open dialogue and discussion' around periods, says that girls with problematic periods often end up being put on the contraceptive pill. 'If it keeps a girl in sport longer, it's done its job,' she says. 'But are there other ways we could keep the girl in sport? Are there other ways we can help?' Lydon isn't 'anti-pill', but points out that it is a medication that comes with side-effects and can, in some instances, serve as a 'band-aid' to mask problematic symptoms, when uncovering their root cause might prove more beneficial. '[With their menstrual cycle] women have that natural feedback mechanism, and we're so lucky in that regard,' she says. 'We can see the effect of what we're doing to our bodies on a monthly basis.' Periods can give an insight into health, with the absence of them pointing to over-training or poor nutrition, while severe pain or abnormally heavy flow can indicate a possible underlying health condition. Dr Katie Lydon, who favours 'open dialogue and discussion' around periods, says that girls with problematic periods often end up being put on the contraceptive pill. The biofeedback provided by period trackers can help female athletes understand how factors such as sleep, diet, overtraining, and stress affect their cycle and how adjusting these factors can have a positive impact over a measurable timeframe. Sport Ireland, through its Her Moves initiative, supports period tracking and offers an invaluable Female Athlete Toolkit handbook, available for download on which looks at menstruation and menstrual health through a sporting lens. Education is key Education around periods is key. A 'spot survey' conducted on the student population by Yvonne Kennedy, wellbeing officer and healthy campus co-ordinator at Atlantic Technological University Sligo, found that 65% of girls 'did not really understand their cycle'. Kennedy spearheaded ATU's groundbreaking Period Promise campaign, with a personal experience proving the catalyst. A mother to two teenage daughters, Kennedy's elder daughter was 11, and in fourth class in primary school, when her periods started. According to the HSE, the average age for girls to have their first period is 11, but any time between the ages of eight and 13 is normal. There was no sanitary bin in the toilet adjacent to her daughter's classroom; only the sixth-class toilet had one. Kennedy contacted the school, who were, she says, 'taken by surprise' at her request that they install a sanitary bin in the mixed-sex, fourth-class toilet. The school hadn't come across the situation previously, and it was felt that a sanitary bin might prompt 'questions' from the boys. A sanitary bin was duly installed in the toilet, with the situation a learning experience for the school, heightening awareness of its responsibility to cater for pupils' menstrual needs, regardless of age, and the value of age-appropriate education. Kennedy, who 'had made a lot of assumptions that a lot of things had changed in the time since I had got my period', realised they hadn't. She was pursuing a master's degree in workplace health and wellbeing, and found there was a dearth of research on women's health generally, and none in to 'how periods affect girls from as young as nine years of age'. The divergence between her academic work and experience as a mother of girls led to her pioneering the campus-wide Period Promise initiative, which has four pillars: Ethical and sustainable period care, menstrual dignity and awareness, menstrual health education, and menstrual health policy advocacy. Period Promise sparked a student-led social media campaign, #NailTheStigma, to foster 'period positivity,' to educate and to raise awareness of the topic of periods, and break any associated stigma. Kennedy says it has had 'massive reach'. Period Promise has proven highly impactful, and its achievements include the installation of 160 free period-product dispensers campus-wide, a collaboration with Sligo Rovers that has supplied the team with ethical, eco-friendly period products, and an ongoing goal of breaking period stigma. 'It really is just about ramping up the conversations and it's about ramping up the education and awareness,' Kennedy says. Workplace policies While menstruation policies remain rare, workplace menopause policies are now the norm, featuring accommodations and support for employees, as well as education and training for all staff. Private-sector organisations now routinely provide paid leave for their employees as part of such policies (the Bank of Ireland offers up to 10 days), while much of the public sector is also on board, with the HSE, An Garda Síochána, and the civil service all having menopause policies or guidance documents in place. Cork-based GP Dr Monica Oikeh points out that in 2023, Spain became the first country in the EU to legislate for paid menstrual leave. 'It's something the Government should take more seriously,' she says. In terms of the workplace, she favours catch-all wellbeing policies over specific menstruation policies, as 'some people really don't want to talk about their period'. She would like employees to have the right to work from home or take a day's leave, if they are experiencing debilitating period symptoms. Trade union Fórsa, which in 2022 found that only 1% of surveyed employees had the protection of a menstrual health policy in their workplace, launched its #StopTheStigma campaign in 2023 to change the workplace conversation. Dr Monica Oikeh favours catch-all wellbeing policies over specific menstruation policies, as 'some people really don't want to talk about their period'. At Solvotrin Therapeutics, the makers of Active Iron, a wellbeing policy on menstruation evolved from surveys conducted for its Better Days Period campaign. Of those surveyed, the top three symptoms were 'cramps, fatigue, and mood swings', says head of marketing Claire Lynch. 'Over 80% said they just put up with [disruptive period symptoms]. When asked about work specifically, 18% said [menstrual symptoms] had stopped them from attending work at least once, and 41% of women suffering period symptoms were told not to worry and 'just get on with it'.' The results prompted 'a focus internally to support the women in our business as well' and a wellbeing policy was adopted. 'If employees have pain or discomfort from their period or menopause, and it prevents them from performing their work duties, they can take leave, or if they feel like they don't want to come in that day, they can work remotely,' Lynch says. Claire Lynch of Solvotrin Therapeutics: 'If employees have pain or discomfort from their period or menopause, and it prevents them from performing their work duties, they can take leave, or if they feel like they don't want to come in that day, they can work remotely." A GP note isn't required, and discretion is in-built; employees can simply say, 'I want to use the policy today.' The leave isn't capped. 'We felt capping it would put a barrier there,' she says. 'The whole purpose of this [policy] is to avoid that period stigma and to break it down.' The company also provides its employees with free, ethical, and eco-friendly period products, access to a period tracker app, and plans to introduce free webinar workshops, in addition to promoting workplace awareness around menstruation and menopause for all employees. 'The feedback has been really positive,' says Lynch. ATU Sligo's Yvonne Kennedy is optimistic, too. 'I'm hoping we can start a movement. 'That was always my aim behind Period Promise. It's not just products, it's a movement for change.' Read More What your step count says about your fitness levels
Irish Independent
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Library events to take place across Meath this month as part of Bealtaine arts festival
This year, Bealtaine is celebrating 30 years of the festival running in Ireland, celebrating age and creativity. Bealtaine is one of Ireland's largest cooperative festivals and the world's first national celebration of creativity in older age. Highlights of this year's events include the 'Big Bealtaine Book Quiz' open to all Meath book clubs on Thursday, May, 15 where winners will go home with some book tokens There will be Healthy Ireland events throughout the month with Pilates, chair yoga, chair exercise, and line dancing events. There will also be creative events such as pressed flower crafts, paint by numbers sessions, mono print art, and art workshops with artist John Carpenter. Oldcastle Library will welcome celebrated author Seamus O'Rourke on Thursday, May, 22 to discuss his latest book with former Meath writer-in-residence Nicola Cassidy. There is also a reminiscence workshop on poems and songs learned at school while Trim Library is holding a Poetry Exhibition throughout the month. A film festival will run once a week throughout the month. And for those who wish to improve their Irish, they can take part in an Irish conversation workshop for beginners in Trim Library on Monday, May, 12. The partnership festival Bealtaine works on two parallel and interdependent strands, including a strategic programme, curated by age and opportunity's arts team, aimed at addressing key strategic priorities for the festival. It also has a locally devised and curated national programme made up of hundreds of events organised in each community by a wide variety of groups.
Irish Independent
05-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Staying fit over 40: ‘I was allergic to exercise before I joined an active life centre full of others my age'
As per a 2022 report by Sport Ireland, nearly half of all Irish women over the age of 40 do not prioritise physical exercise. According to the report, which was researched in partnership with Healthy Ireland, only 28pc of women over 40 believe they meet the World Health Organisation's recommended exercise guidelines of 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week.
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
SunSmart – efforts to promote skin cancer awareness among farmers
A campaign has begun to raise awareness among farmers about the precautions they should take when working outdoors. The SunSmart campaign, a partnership between Bord Bia, the HSE's National Cancer Programme (NCCP), and Healthy Ireland, will run throughout the summer to encourage Bord Bia's farmer members to protect their skin while outdoors. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, with over 11,000 cases annually, many of which are preventable. Bord Bia auditors will distribute SunSmart for Farmers leaflets to all beef, dairy, and sheep farmers during their Bord Bia audit. With approximately 780 farms visited weekly by Bord Bia auditors, the campaign will reach over 12,000 farmers during the period of peak UV exposure. Speaking on the launch, Agricultural Sustainability Co-ordinator with Bord Bia, Eoghan Geraghty said: 'Bord Bia is leveraging our access to the Irish farming community to support the HSE and Healthy Ireland's annual SunSmart campaign… Through this simple step, we hope to prompt farmers to better protect their skin from the sun every day, whether out in the field, inside the tractor cab, or on a cloudy day.' Farmer Ross Crowe with the SunSmart for Farmers leaflet, which will be distributed by Bord Bia auditors this summer at part of the HSE and Healthy Ireland's annual SunSmart awareness campaign. Ross is the farm manager of Patsy and Susan Ahern's farm in Ballyduff, Co. Waterford. The leaflet outlines clear, actionable steps that farmers can take to protect themselves and their staff from sun damage, including checking their skin and moles regularly for changes. Farmers are advised to follow the SunSmart 5S rule: slip, slop, slap, seek, slide. Slip on clothing that covers your skin, like long-sleeved tops and collared shirts. Slop on broad-spectrum sunscreen (minimum of SPF30+ for adults and 50+ for children. Apply on all exposed skin 20 minutes before heading outside and then reapply every 2 hours or more regularly if you are sweating. Slap on a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face and neck. Seek shade between high UV times (11 am-3 pm) or plan working outdoors to be earlier or later in the day to avoid too much exposure. Slide on sunglasses to protect your eyes. The leaflet contains an 'ABCDE' checklist to help farmers know if a mole or patch of skin might be melanoma skin cancer. It is important to note that normal moles usually stay the same size, shape, and colour. Asymmetry (A) occurs when one half of the mole is not the same as the other. Border (B), whether the edges or border of a mole is irregular, blurry or jagged. Colour (C) if the mole is uneven in colour. It could have different shades of black, brown and pink in it. Diameter (D) refers to the size of the mole. Melanomas may grow more than 6mm, i.e. the width of a pencil. Evolution (E) this is if the mole is changing. A mole may change in size, shape, or colour and may also start to itch or bleed. Ann-Marie Lawlor, Senior Health Promotion and Improvement Officer with the HSE, added: 'Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland, with those working outdoors particularly at risk. Farmers and other outdoor workers receive two to three times more UV radiation than those working indoors, making them more vulnerable to skin cancer. Through this joint initiative with Bord Bia, we're placing life-saving advice directly in farmers' hands. Small protective habits today can make a big difference for long-term health.' This campaign forms part of the HSE and Healthy Ireland's wider SunSmart awareness efforts, encouraging people across Ireland to enjoy the sun safely and reduce their risk of skin cancer.
