A very warm bula vinaka to you all — I am very pleased to share this special message with you on this very important day.
The World First Aid Day (WFAD) was introduced by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2000. Every year, more than 100 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world organise activities on the second Saturday of September to raise public awareness of how first aid can save lives in everyday situations. We in Red Cross believe that first aid should be accessible to all — including the most vulnerable, and should also be an integral part of a wider developmental approach.
The International Red Cross works with Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide delivers practical training to communities in first aid, ensuring they are armed with life-saving knowledge and skills and the confidence to act when needed.
WFAD is a time to promote first aid knowledge and skills around the world, to bring about the change we know is needed to enhance, expand and improve first aid training worldwide as an act of humanitarian empowerment and as a key component of building resilient communities.
This year’s theme is responding to “Domestic accidents”. Our focus in Fiji Red Cross is to raise awareness and prepare individual households including women and children to better respond not only to these accidents but also to create awareness and confidence among them while attending to the different types of crisis.
We cannot predict when someone becomes suddenly sick or chokes or has an accident with severe injuries or when an emergency may occur.
It would be quite heart-wrenching if that someone is a family member and you were not able to help because you do not have first aid knowledge. It is therefore very important for each individual to understand and apply the basics of first aid.
Fiji Red Cross offers first aid training sessions to private firms, stakeholders, schools and as well as public sessions.
This year, for the first time in history, the Fiji Red Cross in collaboration with the UN Women conducted a training program to market vendors in markets around Fiji.
Market vendors around the country were able to broaden their knowledge and learn more about first aid.
We are safer in our markets because there are vendors who know, understand and can apply first aid.
This year the Fiji Red Cross Society team will be hosting the World First Aid Day 2017 celebration at Lovu Hart in Lautoka on the September 9, 2017 with the theme “Domestic Accidents”.
Where together with our stakeholders and partners we will be coming together to show our friends at the Lovu Community how we can work together to prepare and respond appropriate to domestic accidents.
