What happened on World Prematurity Day 2012
Do you want to have an overview of the activities that took place this year around the world? Please click here
2012
Socks lines show impact of prematurity across the world
Many parents’ organisations, associations, societies, professionals but also many companies and individuals around the globe join us now in celebrating November 17 as World Prematurity Day. A multitude of events and activities will be organized to draw attention to the problems and risks related to prematurity.
In the light of last year’s success of the manifold socks line activities organised thoughout Europe and worldwide to celebrate World Prematurity Day, parents’ organisations opted to pursue the socks line idea also this year to promote the awareness day in a common campaign.
Following the wish of many, EFCNI gladly furnishes a poster with the socks line and the slogan "one baby in ten is born premature. worldwide. " that has been adapted into 26 European languages.
It can be easily localized and used for various activities that will be organized to celebrate World Prematurity Day 2012 on 17 November. We warmly invite you to use the poster and and adapt it with your logo and a text on your individual event accordingly, but please do not include any sponsoring partners.
You may download the poster for free in your language:
Special Thanks
to the EFCNI premium partners Abbott, Nestlé Nutrition, PerkinElmer and Dräger for supporting the creation of the campaign poster for World Prematuity Day 2012.
We warmly thank the company COMEO for the design and their valuable support.
Celine Dion supports World Prematurity Day 2012
International superstar Celine Dion is lending her support to World Prematurity Day to help raise awareness of the 15 million babies born too soon each year around the world. Click on her photo to see her video:
World Prematurity Day Facebook Page
A global social media outreach is aimed at increasing awareness of preterm birth, evoking compassion for preterm babies and a desire to address the problem. To reach people around the globe and create a surge of awareness, we need the support and engagement of all partners.
Actions we will ask people to take include “liking” our shared WPD Facebook page, posting their stories to a global map and commenting on posts in the timeline and adding their own. These interactions with the page, as well as the number of tweets around the issue, are a way we can measure our success.
Please help promoting the World Prematurity Facebook page via your organization’s Facebook page and Twitter account beginning in the middle of October and continuing through November 17. As a rough guideline, consider promoting WPD through your social networks once a week in October and twice a week in November.
Here is the link to the global World Prematurity Day Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldprematurityday
Shine a light on World Prematurity Day 2012
For World Prematurity Day 2012, the Global Alliance invites everyone - from global organisations to individuals in all countries - to demonstrate our unity for the sake of our most vulnerable children and their families by joining the Global Illumination Initiative.
The Global Illumination Initiative provides an opportunity to collectively show our concern and encourage those concerned by the illuminating landmarks, buildings, monuments etc. in a purple light.
To assist you in this ambitious project, EFCNI developed a "toolkit" containing information, ideas, sample letters and a letter of support from EFCNI and the Global Alliance to endorse your project.
We would be delighted if you decided to join this exciting worldwide initiative and hope that Europe and the world will be lit up in purple throughout November 2012 so that together, we can send a very powerful message of support and encouragement to the world.
This Global Illumination Initiative could accompany your national and/or local events and activities. The "ene mene mini." campaign and "socks lines" activities will also continue throughout this year's World Prematurity Day.
World Prematurity Day 2012
Global Illumination Initiative toolkit
How it all started
Why a Special Day for Prematurity?
Worldwide, one baby in ten is born premature: Every year, about 15 million (data from 2012) children are born too early - 500,000 alone in Europe. Thus, preterm babies represent the largest child patient group and their number continues to increase, even as the total number of births is steadily decreasing. This means that not only does Europe have a huge influx of vulnerable newborns each year, but also the number of so-called "ex-preterms" is steadily increasing.
As these infants grow, they do so with a higher risk of learning and behavioural disabilities, cerebral palsy, sensory and motor deficits, infections, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases or diabetes compared to their full term counterpars.
Despite this high number and the risks involved, public is only hardly aware of the prevention of preterm birth and the problems and risks involved in the development of a preterm infant.
Why 17 November?
17 November 2008 - the idea was born
EFCNI initiated the first meeting of the European Parents’ Organisations in Rome, Italy. During this meeting, the representatives decided to create an awareness day for preterm infants and their families. 17 November was spontanously chosen because this day has a very special and emotional meaning for one of EFCNI’s founders: After the decease of his preterm triplets in December 2006 he became father of a healthy born daughter on 17 November 2008. At the same time March of Dimes, an American charity organisation for preterm and newborn infants, had a similar idea and launched a Prematurity Awareness Day on 17th November in the USA likewise.
17 November 2009 - first International Prematurity Awareness Day
Became the first International Prematurity Awareness Day and was celebrated with a multitude of events by EFCNI and its European partner organisations.
17 November 2010 - second International Prematurity Awareness Day
Besides the US-organisation March of Dimes, the African organisation “LittleBigSouls” and the Australian “National Premmie Foundation”, both members of the "Global Alliance" started to join the celebrations of the second International Prematurity Awareness Day.
17 November 2011 - first World Prematurity Day
This date seemed to be meant for uniting and jointly launching the first ever World Prematurity Day. On this day, all those involved in pregnancy and childbirth want to draw attention to the concerns of preterm babies and their families.
For the first time the Global Alliance, initiated a Facebook website in order to jointly draw attention to the World Prematurity Day. Interested and concerned people found and will continue to find further information on prematurity and have the opportunity to actively state their interest: http://www.facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay.
Please follow us to the different years on top of this page to find some of the past activities and events that took place on and around 17 November.
How it all started
In 2009, 17 November became the official Prematurity Awareness Day and has been celebrated with a multitude of events by the “Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants” (EFCNI) and its European partner organisations.
The date was decided upon during the first meeting of the European Parents’ Organisations on 18 November 2008 in Rome, Italy, which had been initiated by EFCNI. The reason for choosing 17 November was that this date has a very special meaning for one of EFCNI’s founders: After the decease of his preterm triplets in December 2006 he became father of a healthy born daughter on 17 November 2008. At the same time March of Dimes, an American charity organisation for preterm and newborn infants, had a similar idea and launched a Prematurity Awareness Day on 17 November in the USA likewise. So this date seemed to be meant for uniting and jointly launching the World Prematurity Day.
In the meanwhile, the African organisation “LittleBigSouls” and the Australian “National Premmie Foundation” have joined and we are delighted that organisations from Canada and Middle East will be planning activities for this year’s World Prematurity Day, too.
