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World Menopause Day – 18 October 2023

World Menopause Day is held each year on 18 October to raise awareness, break the stigma and highlight the support available for improving health and wellbeing for those experiencing menopause.

Menopause is not just a gender or age issue, it is an organisational issue which can impact colleagues both directly or indirectly. Awareness around this topic is key to reducing the stigma attached to menopause and encouraging people to talk more openly about it.

The Long Term Workforce Plan has emphasised the importance of retaining our valued NHS workforce. Employers should be looking at their wellbeing offer and critically evaluating the experience of staff through all stages of their careers. The NHS People Promise explores the seven elements of creating a positive staff experience. A positive staff experience and a rounded support offer are vital to encouraging staff to remain in the workplace.

Did you know?

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed that:

  • women aged 50 and over are the fastest growing group in the workforce; the average age for menopause transition is 51
  • three out of five working women aged between 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work
  • more than half of this group said they experienced more stress
  • nearly a third of women have taken sick leave due to their symptoms, but only a quarter told managers the real reason why.

World Menopause Day 2023

The theme for World Menopause Day 2023 is cardiovascular disease. The link between reproductive factors and cardiovascular disease is another important aspect of menopause that women need to be aware of.

Researchers have recently discovered that a woman’s reproductive experiences (including menstruation, pregnancy, breast cancer treatments and menopause) can affect the chances of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Awareness of this can help determine an individual’s risk. 

The International Menopause Society has a range of resources available to support this year’s theme, these resources are also available in different languages.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/world-menopause-day-18-october-2023

International Midwives’ Day – 5 May

International Midwives’ Day was first celebrated May 5, 1991, and has since been observed in over 50 nations around the world. The idea of having a day to recognize and honor midwives came out of the 1987 International Confederation of Midwives conference in the Netherlands.

Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labor and birth, during the postpartum period, and between pregnancies. Practitioners also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding. They provide birth control, education and prescriptions for well-woman health care as well.

Source: Text: www.cute-calendar.com Image: Pinterest

Midwives perform a vital service in providing care and support to women and their families while pregnant, throughout labour and during the period after a baby’s birth.  

On this day, we celebrate the role of midwives across the WHO European Region, recognizing in particular the importance of educating, training, regulating and licensing midwives to improve quality of care and to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.  

We also showcase WHO/Europe’s work in raising levels of midwifery education in the Region; creating evidence-based knowledge on midwifery; and influencing national policies that will lead to the provision of high-quality, accessible, equitable, efficient and sensitive health services.

Source: Text: https://www.who.int/europe/event/international-day-of-the-midwife